Family says Southern California boy died from dangerous social media challenge

Yahoo

22-02-2025

A Southern California couple is mourning the death of their young son after they say he died from a dangerous social media challenge.
Nnamdi Ohaeri, Jr. known by friends and family as 'Deuce,' was just 13 years old.
He was the eldest of four boys and loved music and playing sports, especially football. Coming from a military family in Murrieta, Deuce enjoyed family activities and spending time with his loved ones.
'He had a good sense of humor and a great wit about him,' the boy's father, Nnamdi Ohaeri, Sr., told KTLA's Shelby Nelson.
On Feb. 2, his family said the day was spent together like any usual Sunday.
'We came home, they showered, we were watching the Grammys, he was excited that Kendrick Lamar was sweeping all the categories,' Ohaeri, Sr. recalled.
But the next morning, they found Deuce unresponsive in his room. His mother quickly began performing CPR and his father called 911 while rushing over to a neighbor for help.
The boy was later pronounced dead and, at the time, it appeared he had taken his own life.
But his parents said it just didn't make sense. Deuce was always looking toward the future and excited about everything that lay ahead.
So his parents began investigating and asking questions and they soon discovered that Deuce had learned of a social media game in which children were making themselves pass out.
'I heard something where this young person tried to make themselves pass out and I guess they came back from it,' Ohaeri, Sr. said.
The distraught parents said it's the only thing that makes sense.
They said Deuce didn't have any social media accounts and his phone had strict parental controls, so they believe he may have learned of the game from other students at school.
Similar dangerous TikTok challenges, like the 'Blackout Challenge' encourage people to hold their breath until they pass out due to a lack of oxygen. TikTok is facing several lawsuits from parents who believe their children died after taking part in the viral trend.
The boy's parents have so many unanswered questions and are struggling to understand the circumstances that led to their boy's death. They said they've always made sure to teach their children to be aware of dangerous outside influences.
'I'm going through the Rolodex of guilt now like, 'Did we check in more? Should I have not been as firm four years ago?'' Ohaeri, Sr. said.
The family said they hope that sharing Deuce's story will serve as a warning to other parents to be alert and aware of what their children may be exposed to on social media and through classmates.
Ohaeri, Sr. said he's always been 'mindful of influences and talking about, 'Don't do drugs and make good decisions,'' to his children. 'But we don't talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games and maybe we need to,' he said.
The family held a funeral and celebration of life for Deuce and said they have been overwhelmed by the support they've received from their community and loved ones.
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