BETHANY, Okla. (KFOR) — Police in Oklahoma are investigating the suspicious death of a 12-year-old boy who apparently died after attempting a “blackout” challenge he saw on TikTok, according to authorities.
Officers were called to an apartment in Bethany, Oklahoma, in response to an “unresponsive juvenile.” When police arrived, they found the boy with “ligature marks” around his neck.
The boy was taken to University of Oklahoma Children’s Hospital early Tuesday morning where he later died from his injuries.
“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,” Bethany Police said in a statement obtained by KFOR.
Last month, a Massachusetts boy died after attempting the challenge. In April, a 12-year-old Colorado boy died after remaining on life support for 19 days following his participation in the viral “blackout challenge.”
The investigation is ongoing, but Bethany Police want to warn Oklahoma parents of social media trends.
The loss of a loved one is very traumatic to all and our condolences go out to the family. 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. Social media is a very influential part of a child’s life and should be heavily scrutinized by parents.
Bethany Police Department