Parents issue heartbreaking tribute after son, 13, dies 'while attempting dangerous social media challenge'
The parents of a 13-year-old child who passed away earlier this month have paid tribute to their son after believing he died while 'participating in a social media game'.
Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr. was found unresponsive in his bedroom in Murrieta, California, on February 3.
Although Nnamdi's mom performed CPR, the teenager was sadly pronounced dead.
It's unclear whether police are investigating the circumstances of Nnamdi's death, but his parents now believe he could have taken part in a dangerous social media challenge.
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UNILAD has contacted The Murrieta Police department for comment.
Nnamdi's parents believe that he could have taken part in a game similar to the 'Blackout Challenge', which caused the deaths of several children in 2021.
Nnamdi's father, Ohaeri Sr., said he had been open with his children about 'influences' but explained to KTLA that 'we don’t talk about not following social media trends or playing social media games and maybe we need to'.
“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 added.
A GoFundMe has now been set up for the family, explaining: "We want to honor the treasure that was the beloved Nnamdi Glenn Ohaeri Jr, 'Deuce'.
"A vibrant, kind, loving, beautiful young man, a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a friend, a teammate, a bandmate, a leader, an athlete, who had a passion and incredible talent for football who meant so much to so many, and will be so very deeply missed.
"Please continue to keep the family in your thoughts and prayers as we respect their space and privacy.
"All donations will go to the family for any expenses incurred by this tragedy."
In an update from earlier this month, the family explained that Nnamdi's death 'does not seem real'.
"It has been 15 days since Deuce passed away, and this feeling still does not seem real. We never would have thought one of our children would be the face of a GoFundMe campaign and yet here we are," the update read.
"On February 14th 2025 we had our son's funeral. On February 16th 2025 we had our son's celebration of life. The overwhelming support provided to us from our circle of Friends, our family members, and the entire community was and still is beautiful.
"Although we wish the circumstances were different, it has been comforting to receive support, messages of love, and the willingness from those closest to us and from those who don't know us to provide us and unrelenting helping hand."
Topics: Social Media, US News, Parenting
Lucy Devine