A 14-year-old high school freshman has killed himself in a ditch after being bullied by older students , according to friends . Raymond Howell Jr. 's body was found near a culvert alongside a busy road in McKinney , Texas - around four miles from where he attended school at McKinney Boyd High - on Thursday . Police , who were on the scene at 7am , have not confirmed how he passed away but friends on social media reported that he had died from a bullet wound . After his body was found , friends said that he never would have taken his life , but McKinney police confirmed on Thursday that it was suicide . Loss : The body of Raymond Howell , Jr. was found early on Thursday morning a few miles from his school . Tribute : Friends paid tribute to the teenager on social media . Some friends reported that he had been bullied . Friends recalled him as a happy and friendly teenager , but said he had recently asked for a transfer after being bullied by older students , CBS reported . 'There were people who did n't like him , but it 's life - there 's always someone that wo n't like you , ' family friend Aleena Rogers , 16 , told the Dallas Morning News . 'But those were very few and far between for him . He was loved by most everyone . ' She said he was always helping other people and called him 'an amazing guy with a huge heart ' . Another friend wrote on Instagram that Howell had been found shot to death and called him ' a great , happy , awesome , and nice guy ' . ' I am gon na miss you bro , ' he wrote . School district officials have not yet responded to requests from DailyMail.com over whether they were aware of the bullying claims . Scene : His body was found near this culvert in McKinney , Texas . Friends say he died of a bullet wound . School : He was a freshman at McKinney Boyd High , pictured , but had reportedly asked for a transfer . Loved : Another friend posted pictures to Twitter showing him with Raymond when they were younger . But they released a statement on Thursday to say they would be providing counselors to help students and staff affected by the tragedy . 'It is with great sadness that we were informed this morning of the death of a McKinney Boyd High School student , ' district spokesman Cody Cunningham said in the statement . 'We recognize there are a lot of unanswered questions at this time , and we ask for your patience as the McKinney Police Department investigates the situation . ' • For confidential help , call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here . • For confidential support on suicide matters in the UK , call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 , visit a local Samaritans branch or click here . See below for video .
Raymond Howell Jr. 's body was found in a culvert in McKinney , Texas early on 16 , around four miles from his school . Police have not released his cause of death but friends on social media said he had died from a bullet wound . Friends said he had been bullied by older kids and had asked for a transfer .