A Southern California family is mourning the heartbreaking loss of their 13-year-old son, Nnamdi Ohaeri Jr., who they suspect died after attempting a risky social media challenge.
As reported by KTLA on Friday, the young boy, affectionately called “Deuce” by those closest to him, was the eldest of four siblings. He had a deep love for music and sports, especially football.
Deuce, who came from a military family in Murrieta, was known for his humour and sharp wit. His father, Nnamdi Ohaeri Sr., described him as a lively and quick-witted child.
“He had a good sense of humour and a great wit about him,” Ohaeri Sr. told KTLA’s Shelby Nelson.
On February 2, what started as an ordinary Sunday for the family took a devastating turn.
“We came home, they showered, we were watching the Grammys. He was excited that Kendrick Lamar was sweeping all the categories,” Ohaeri Sr. recalled.
By the next morning, tragedy struck. Deuce was found unresponsive in his room.
His mother immediately began performing CPR, while his father frantically called 911 and sought help from a neighbor. Despite their desperate efforts, their son could not be revived.
Initially, the circumstances suggested Deuce may have taken his own life, but his parents struggled to accept that possibility. He had always been full of excitement for the future.
In their search for answers, they uncovered a troubling reality, Deuce had likely attempted a challenge where individuals intentionally 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 suspects he may have learned about the challenge from classmates since he did not have social media accounts and his phone was tightly monitored with parental controls.
Dangerous social media trends, like the widely condemned “Blackout Challenge,” have been linked to multiple child fatalities.
The challenge, which involves holding one’s breath to the point of unconsciousness, has sparked legal action against TikTok by grieving parents.
Now grappling with profound grief and unanswered questions, Deuce’s parents are struggling to make sense of their loss.
“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. admitted.
Determined to raise awareness, the family is speaking out to caution other parents about the hidden dangers of social media trends.
“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.”
A funeral and celebration of life were recently held in Deuce’s honour, with his family expressing deep gratitude for the outpouring of support from their community.
