A California family believes their 13-year-old son died after participating in a life-threatening social media challenge, PEOPLE reports.
The parents of Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr., 13, found their son unresponsive in his bedroom on February 3. The teen’s mom attempted to perform CPR while his father contacted authorities for help, but Ohaeri Jr. was pronounced dead.
Ohaeri Jr.’s death was initially believed to be a suicide, but his parents later discovered that their son had learned of a dangerous social media trend that encourages users to make themselves unconscious. The alleged social media trend that led to the teen’s death is being compared to the “Blackout Challenge,” a viral TikTok trend that was reportedly behind the deaths of several children a few years ago.
Ohaeri Jr.’s parents noted that they had strict parental controls on his phone and no social media accounts. The family believes he learned of the challenge through his classmates.
A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help raise money for the family as they navigate Ohaeri Jr.’s death. It’s unclear whether his death was officially ruled a suicide by officials or if police are investigating the teen’s death.
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