A TWELVE-year-old boy died on Tuesday after reportedly attempting the viral TikTok “blackout challenge” only months after it left another 12-year-old with brain damage.
Cops are investigating the death of the boy after he was found “unresponsive” with “ligature marks” around his neck in an Oklahoma apartment at midnight on Monday.
A boy, 12, reportedly died after attempting a TikTok challengeCredit: Getty
Bethany, Oklahoma, police warned parents to monitor kids’ social mediaCredit: KOCO News 5
He was taken to the University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital but died of his injuries before 7am on Tuesday.
Police said they had spoken to the boy’s family and do not believe it to be a suicide attempt.
“The preliminary investigation leads detectives to believe this incident was not a suicide attempt, but that of a TikTok Challenge or otherwise known as the ‘Black Out’ Challenge, gone wrong,” cops said in a statement to KFOR.
It comes just a month after a boy in Massachusetts died following an attempt at the challenge.
Another 12-year-old boy in Colorado remained on life support for 19 days after attempting the trend in April.
Joshua Haileyesus was left brain dead after he was found by his twin brother passed out on his bathroom floor on March 22.
He was kept alive by a live support machine until April.
‘KIDS NEED TO BE TAUGHT’
His devastated father, Haileyesus Zeryihun, had held out hope that Joshua was a “fighter” and might pull through; that he had been “praying for him every day.”
Yet shortly after his son was hospitalized, he had learned that there was a likelihood he “was not going to survive.”
“This is something that kids need to be given to be taught – to be counseled. Because this is a serious, a serious thing,” his father told The Denver Channel in March.
“It’s not a joke at all,” he added. “And you can treat it as if somebody is holding a gun. This is how dangerous this is.”
The latest victim has not been named.
COPS ISSUE WARNING
Bethany Police issued a warning on Tuesday, urging parents to ensure they know what their children are doing on social media.
“The loss of a loved one is very traumatic to all and our condolences go out to the family,” cops said in a statement.
“We would like to warn parents to stay involved with their children and take the time to look what they are doing on social media.
“Now more than ever due to the lockdowns, kids are bored and looking to occupy their time,” cops cautioned.
Social media is a very influential part of a child’s life and should be heavily scrutinized by parents.
TikTok spokesperson
An Australian mother also warned of the dangers after her 14-year-old son died last year.
Teenager James Boyd-Gergely was found dead in the front porch of his home during the Covid lockdown.
His mum, Vanessa Boyd, believes her son’s death was not intentional but a result of peer pressure combined with isolation during lockdown.
“There was nothing going on with self-harm in the lead up to that,” she told news.com.au.
“The day he died, he did his chores and did his homework. He never would have done his homework if he was planning something like that.
“It’s almost like it was a stunt gone wrong. There is no way in my mind that he would do that intentionally.”
TikTok has also condemned the ‘challenge’Credit: Getty
TikTok condemned the “challenge” earlier this year after the death of a 10-year-old girl in Italy.
“Social media is a very influential part of a child’s life and should be heavily scrutinized by parents,” it told Newsweek.
“We do not allow content that encourages, promotes, or glorifies dangerous behavior that might lead to injury, and our teams work diligently to identify and remove content that violates our policies.”
