13-Year-Old SoCal Boy Dies After Allegedly Attempting TikTok Challenge; Grieving Family Urges Parents to Educate Children on the Dangers of Viral Social Media Trends
A Southern California family is grieving the heartbreaking loss of 13-year-old Nnamdi Ohaeri Jr., who they believe died after attempting a dangerous social media challenge.
Nnamdi, known as “Deuce,” was the eldest of four siblings and had a passion for music and football. Coming from a military family in Murrieta, he was known for his humor and quick wit.
On February 2, after a normal family evening watching the Grammys, Deuce was found unresponsive the next morning. Despite his mother’s CPR efforts and a 911 call, he was pronounced dead. Initially suspected to be self-harm, his parents later learned about a challenge encouraging kids to make themselves pass out.
The family believes Deuce may have learned about the trend from classmates, as he had no social media accounts and strict parental controls on his phone. Similar challenges, like the “Blackout Challenge,” have been linked to multiple child deaths.
Now, Deuce’s parents are sharing their story to warn others. “We talk about drugs and making good choices, but maybe we need to warn kids about social media trends too,” his father said.
A funeral and celebration of life were recently held, with the family expressing gratitude for the community’s support.
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