According to school officials, a DFW-native freshman cheerleader at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, died last week after posting a frightening message on social media.
Now, the college community is mourning the loss of 19-year-old student-athlete Arlana Miller after she was found dead on May 4.
Miller died after walking into the Mississippi River just days before finishing her first year at Southern University.
According to Southern University Director of Athletics Roman Banks, Miller, a DeSoto High School graduate, was seeking a degree in agriculture.
“Our entire athletic department, student-athletes, coaches, and staff are grieving after hearing the news of the passing of one of our student-athletes cheerleader team member Arlana Miller,” said Banks in a statement last Thursday.
The student’s father, Arthur Miller, also spoke out regarding his daughter’s death.
“She texted me the night before she walked into the water, and she said, please pray for me,” said Miller to KNOE. “I didn’t know what was wrong. I just called her, and she didn’t answer. So I called her again and left her a voicemail of prayer. She never answered.”
“I will never forget that smile in my whole life,” he said. “It’s like she glowed.”
Around the time of her death, screenshots of Miller’s final Instagram post, which served as her suicide note, began spreading online. The post has since been removed.
In the post, Miller detailed her lifetime mental health challenges, which she claims were worsened by a torn ACL, the COVID-19 pandemic, and academic problems.
“May this day bring me rest and peace,” she said in the post. Miller concluded her caption with, “My battle is over, and I pray everyone finds peace in that.”
Arlana’s death occurred during Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Alliance orchestrated on Mental Illness (NAMI) and noted this year’s awareness month aims to “amplify the message of “Together for Mental Health.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a resource for people experiencing difficulties and individuals looking to assist another person.
The phone number is 1-800-273-8255. Those in need of emotional crisis support can also text HELLO to 741741 at any time to talk with a trained listener. It is both free and confidential.