Latest news with #BlackoutChallenge
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Yahoo
This Social Media Challenge Allegedly Kills 13-Year-Old Black California Boy; His Parents Never Saw It Coming
Unfortunately, the era of participating in harmful, life-threatening social media trends is still among us. In the latest case, the trend in question is alleged to have claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy in Southern California. The parents of 13-year-old Nnamdi 'Deuce' Ohaeri, Jr. were terrified to find their son unresponsive the morning of Feb 3. The family had just watched the Grammys the following evening, watching Deuce's excitement over Kendrick Lamar's category sweep, according to KTLA 5 News. However, the typical school morning quickly turned to panic as they called 911, attempted to administer CPR and rushed to neighbors for help, per the report. His family said he was pronounced dead later. It's unclear exactly what Deuce's cause of death is but they said it appeared he had taken his life, they said via KTLA. However, that conclusion didn't rest right with his family given he had such a bright future ahead of him. In their own investigation, the family tells KTLA they figured out what may have led to the tragedy. They assume Deuce participated in a social media game where you make yourself pass out but stop before you faint completely. 'I heard something where this young person tried to make themselves pass out and I guess they came back from it,' said Nnamdi Ohaeri, Sr., Deuce's father via KTLA. However, questions still remain as to whether he participated in said social media trend as Deuce's parents tell KTLA the teen had no social media pages and also had strict parental controls on his cellphone. This led them to believe he was influenced by his peers at school, they told KTLA. While the family always warned Deuce against drug abuse, alcohol use and everything else we get speeches about as teenagers, Ohaeri, Sr. said he never thought about the influence of social media. '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 via KTLA. 'But we don't talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games and maybe we need to.' This isn't the first time we've seen tragedy follow a dangerous social media trend. Back in 2023, a teen died after participating in the viral Paqui One Chip challenge. Even more children died after taking part in a 'Blackout Challenge' that took over TikTok years ago, resulting in a slew of lawsuits against the app claiming it was responsible for influencing their children. Certainly, these incidents beg the question of just how powerful social media is for young, impressionable minds and if it can be held responsible for such tragedies. Deuce was remembered for his love for sports and football as well as his 'great wit' and sense of humor, per the report. He was the oldest of four boys. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Yahoo
Parents Say Son, 13, Died After Attempting Dangerous Social Media Challenge: ‘We Remain Paralyzed in Thought and Sorrow'
A pair of Southern California parents are mourning their 13-year-old son, who they believe died after participating in a dangerous social media challenge similar to one that took several lives when it surfaced years ago. Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr.'s mom and dad found him unresponsive in his bedroom in Murrieta in the morning of Monday, Feb. 3, after spending the previous day watching the Grammy Awards together, KTLA reported. After finding Ohaeri Jr., the eldest of their four sons, his mom performed CPR while his father, Nnamdi Ohaeri Sr., contacted a neighbor and police for help, per KTLA, but the teen was later pronounced dead. And though it initially appeared that Ohaeri Jr. had taken his life, his parents had doubts, so they began investigating on their own, which led them to discover that their late son had learned of a dangerous social media challenge, KTLA reported. It is unclear whether the teen's death has been officially ruled a suicide or whether police are investigating the circumstances of his death. The Murrieta Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Similar to the 'Blackout Challenge' — a viral TikTok trend that reportedly caused the deaths of several children and led parents to sue the platform a few years ago — the challenge that Ohaeri Jr.'s parents believe claimed their son's life challenges participants to make themselves unconscious, according to KTLA. But Ohaeri Jr. had strict parental controls on his phone and no social media accounts, his parents told the outlet, which led them to believe that he learned of the challenge from his classmates. The Murrieta couple hope that their son's story can inspire other parents to be more aware of what their kids are exposed to on social media and through their peers. As a parent, Ohaeri Sr. said he has been 'mindful of influences' and open with his sons about topics like drugs, 'but we don't talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games,' he told KTLA. 'And maybe we need to.' In the wake of his son's death, he added, '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?' ' Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Ohaeri Jr. loved music and sports, and he 'had a good sense of humor and a great wit about him,' his dad told KTLA. A GoFundMe fundraiser for the teen's family, which has raised more than $74,000, also offers more insight into who the teen was prior to his sudden death. The 13-year-old was 'a vibrant, kind, loving, beautiful young man, a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend, a teammate, a bandmate, a leader, an athlete, who had a passion and incredible talent for football,' the GoFundMe description says. In a Feb. 18 update to the fundraiser shared following Ohaeri Jr.'s Feb. 14 funeral, his father wrote, 'It has been 15 days since Deuce passed away, and this feeling still does not seem real. We never would have thought one of our children would be the face of a GoFundMe campaign and yet here we are.' In an earlier update, Ohaeri Sr. wrote that 'it has been challenging navigating the shock, grief, and intermittent feelings of hopelessness and anger, while also trying to plan for proper transitional services.' 'We wish the circumstances were different but they are as they are,' he wrote. 'And we remain paralyzed in thought and sorrow in trying to fully understand why.' The grieving parents' other three sons, he added, are 'managing as well as can be expected, and we are doing our best to try and navigate their pain.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Yahoo
Parents Say Son, 13, Died After Attempting Dangerous Social Media Challenge: ‘We Remain Paralyzed in Thought and Sorrow'
A pair of Southern California parents are mourning their 13-year-old son, who they believe died after participating in a dangerous social media challenge similar to one that took several lives when it surfaced years ago. Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr.'s mom and dad found him unresponsive in his bedroom in Murrieta in the morning of Monday, Feb. 3, after spending the previous day watching the Grammy Awards together, KTLA reported. After finding Ohaeri Jr., the eldest of their four sons, his mom performed CPR while his father, Nnamdi Ohaeri Sr., contacted a neighbor and police for help, per KTLA, but the teen was later pronounced dead. And though it initially appeared that Ohaeri Jr. had taken his life, his parents had doubts, so they began investigating on their own, which led them to discover that their late son had learned of a dangerous social media challenge, KTLA reported. It is unclear whether the teen's death has been officially ruled a suicide or whether police are investigating the circumstances of his death. The Murrieta Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Similar to the 'Blackout Challenge' — a viral TikTok trend that reportedly caused the deaths of several children and led parents to sue the platform a few years ago — the challenge that Ohaeri Jr.'s parents believe claimed their son's life challenges participants to make themselves unconscious, according to KTLA. But Ohaeri Jr. had strict parental controls on his phone and no social media accounts, his parents told the outlet, which led them to believe that he learned of the challenge from his classmates. The Murrieta couple hope that their son's story can inspire other parents to be more aware of what their kids are exposed to on social media and through their peers. As a parent, Ohaeri Sr. said he has been 'mindful of influences' and open with his sons about topics like drugs, 'but we don't talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games,' he told KTLA. 'And maybe we need to.' In the wake of his son's death, he added, '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?' ' Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Ohaeri Jr. loved music and sports, and he 'had a good sense of humor and a great wit about him,' his dad told KTLA. A GoFundMe fundraiser for the teen's family, which has raised more than $74,000, also offers more insight into who the teen was prior to his sudden death. The 13-year-old was 'a vibrant, kind, loving, beautiful young man, a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend, a teammate, a bandmate, a leader, an athlete, who had a passion and incredible talent for football,' the GoFundMe description says. In a Feb. 18 update to the fundraiser shared following Ohaeri Jr.'s Feb. 14 funeral, his father wrote, 'It has been 15 days since Deuce passed away, and this feeling still does not seem real. We never would have thought one of our children would be the face of a GoFundMe campaign and yet here we are.' In an earlier update, Ohaeri Sr. wrote that 'it has been challenging navigating the shock, grief, and intermittent feelings of hopelessness and anger, while also trying to plan for proper transitional services.' 'We wish the circumstances were different but they are as they are,' he wrote. 'And we remain paralyzed in thought and sorrow in trying to fully understand why.' The grieving parents' other three sons, he added, are 'managing as well as can be expected, and we are doing our best to try and navigate their pain.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Family says Southern California boy died from dangerous social media challenge
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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
