A Southern California family is grieving the tragic loss of their 13-year-old son, Nnamdi Ohaeri Jr., who they believe died after participating in a dangerous social media challenge.
According to a report on Friday by Los Angeles and Southern California news outlet KTLA, the young boy, known as “Deuce” to his loved ones, was the eldest of four siblings and had a passion for music and sports, particularly football.
Coming from a military family in Murrieta, Deuce enjoyed spending time with his family and was known for his sense of humour and quick wit.
“He had a good sense of humour and a great wit about him,” his father, Nnamdi Ohaeri Sr., told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson.
On February 2, the family spent a normal Sunday together.
“We came home, they showered, we were watching the Grammys. He was excited that Kendrick Lamar was sweeping all the categories,” Ohaeri Sr. recalled.
However, the next morning, Deuce was found unresponsive in his room. His mother immediately performed CPR while his father called 911 and ran to a neighbour for help. Despite their efforts, the boy was pronounced dead.
At first, it appeared as though Deuce had taken his own life, but his parents said that possibility didn’t make sense. They described him as a child who was always excited about the future.
As they sought answers, they discovered that Deuce had learned about a social media challenge where children attempt to make themselves pass out.
“I heard something about a young person trying to make themselves pass out, and I guess they came back from it,” Ohaeri Sr. said.
The family believes Deuce may have learned about the challenge from classmates, as he did not have social media accounts and his phone had strict parental controls.
The report added that similar social media trends, such as the “Blackout Challenge,” have been widely criticised for encouraging users to hold their breath until they pass out due to lack of oxygen. The viral trend has been linked to several child deaths, prompting lawsuits against TikTok from grieving parents.
Now, Deuce’s parents are left with many unanswered questions, struggling to understand what led to their son’s death.
“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.
Hoping to prevent similar tragedies, the family is sharing their story as a warning to other parents.
“I’ve always been mindful of influences and talked about, ‘Don’t do drugs and make good decisions,’” Ohaeri Sr. said. “But we don’t talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games, and maybe we need to.”
The family recently held a funeral and celebration of life for Deuce and expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from their community.
