California Family Says Viral Social Media Challenge Led to 13-Year-Old’s Death
(Jessica Anderson/GoFundMe)
A Murrieta, California, couple is grieving the loss of their 13-year-old son, Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr., who they believe died after participating in a dangerous social media challenge. The teen was found unresponsive in his bedroom on the morning of February 3, just days after watching the Grammy Awards with his family.
Despite immediate efforts by his mother to perform CPR and his father, Nnamdi Ohaeri Sr., to seek help from neighbors and police, the boy was pronounced dead. Initially, the death appeared to be a suicide, but his parents grew suspicious and began investigating. They discovered that their son may have been influenced by a social media challenge similar to the infamous “Blackout Challenge,” which has been linked to several child deaths in recent years.
The challenge reportedly dares participants to make themselves unconscious. While Ohaeri Jr. had no social media accounts and strict parental controls on his phone, his parents believe he learned about the trend from classmates.
“We don’t talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games,” Ohaeri Sr. told KTLA. “And maybe we need to.” The grieving father expressed regret, questioning whether he could have done more to protect his son. “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?’” he said.
Ohaeri Jr., the eldest of four brothers, was described as a vibrant and talented young man with a passion for music and sports. His father remembered him as someone who “had a good sense of humor and a great wit about him.” A GoFundMe campaign created to support the family has raised over $74,000, with the description highlighting the teen’s many roles: “a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend, a teammate, a bandmate, a leader, an athlete.”
In a February 18 update, Ohaeri Sr. shared his ongoing struggle with grief. “It has been 15 days since Deuce passed away, and this feeling still does not seem real,” he wrote. “We never would have thought one of our children would be the face of a GoFundMe campaign and yet here we are.”
The family is now focused on supporting their three remaining sons, who are “managing as well as can be expected,” according to Ohaeri Sr. The parents hope their tragedy will serve as a warning to other families about the dangers of social media trends and peer influence.
“We wish the circumstances were different, but they are as they are,” Ohaeri Sr. wrote. “And we remain paralyzed in thought and sorrow in trying to fully understand why.” Authorities have not yet confirmed the cause of death or whether an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
