The parents of a deceased 13-year-old boy believe their son died from a social media challenge and not suicide as investigators initially thought.
Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr.’s parents found him unresponsive at their Southern California home on Feb. 3. According to KTLA, the family of six had spent the prior evening watching the Grammy Awards together. However, the following day became a nightmare.
As Ohaeri Jr.’s mom performed CPR on her eldest son, his father called out for help from the police and neighbors. While all tried to save him, the teenage boy was pronounced dead.
Despite original assumptions that the teen committed suicide, his family began to doubt the cause of death. In their own investigation, they discovered his participation in a social media challenge that could have led to his passing.
The challenge encouraged participants to try to make themselves unconscious. The effort is similar to the “Blackout Challenge,” in which several participants died, prompting lawsuits against TikTok by their bereaved parents. However, the question of how Ohaeri Jr. discovered the challenge remains unclear, especially as his parents prohibited social media on his phone.
In light of this tragedy, the Ohaeris want other families to have discussions about the dangers of social media. They hope to inspire others to check in with their children about internet engagement and safety.
“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?’ ” shared Ohaeri Sr.
As the family deals with the loss, they have launched a GoFundMe to help with expenses during this time. The page also revealed more about their beloved son known as “Deuce.”
“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure,” quoted the family in the description. “We want to honor the treasure that was the beloved Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr, ‘Deuce.’ 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 who meant so much to so many, and will be so very deeply missed.”
The family has raised over $75,000 of their $100,000 goal.
