My Chemical Romance have issued an official statement about recent suicide of 13 year old Hannah Bond.
According to British tabloids such as the Daily Mail, Bond allegedly killed herself after "she started following US band My Chemical Romance" and "started cutting her wrists [as] part of an initiation into the emo fashion."
"We have recently learned of the suicide and tragic loss of Hannah Bond," wrote the band on www.mychemicalromance.com. "We'd like to send our condolences to her family during this time of mourning. Our hearts and thoughts are with them.
"My Chemical Romance are and always have been vocally anti-violence and anti-suicide. As a band, we have always made it one of our missions through our actions to provide comfort, support, and solace to our fans. The message and theme of our album The Black Parade is hope and courage. Our lyrics are about finding the strength to keep living through pain and hard times.
"The last song on our album states: 'I am not afraid to keep on living' - a sentiment that embodies the band's position on hardships we all face as human beings. If you or anyone that you know have feelings of depression or suicide, we urge you to find your way and your voice to deal with these feelings positively."
In related news, My Chemical Romance fans are organising a march across London this weekend to protest against the Daily Mail's repeated, and wholly inaccurate, demonisation of the New Jersey rockers.