TikTok challenge investigated after 12-year-old choked to death at Yonkers school

YONKERS, NY - A community is mourning the sudden loss of a 12-year-old boy as police examine whether a dangerous TikTok challenge may have played a role in his death.

What we know:

A sixth grade student became unresponsive while choking at Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community School on Wednesday morning.

Emergency responders attempted to resuscitate the boy before rushing him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

School officials say the choking did not happen in the cafeteria, and that the boy was with an adult at the time, with additional adults responding within seconds.

What we don't know:

The name of the student has yet to be released, along with any further details. His death is currently under investigation.

Dig deeper:

During a press conference on Thursday, police said they were investigating whether a TikTok challenge could be responsible for the boy's death. However, they did not state which challenge was being investigated.

"Like any other unnatural death, we investigate it," said Yonkers Police Commissioner Chris Sapiena. "So, anything about a TikTok challenge, anything about witness statements, the events leading up to this, we are going to investigate."

When asked about the challenge, Yonkers School Superintendent Anibel Soler Jr. said the school is not aware of anything having to do with TIkTok.

"People are looking for reasons as to why tragedies happen," Solel said. "And you know, this was horrific in the sense that no superintendent, no principal, no teacher, no parent wants this to happen to their child. And you know, that’s where I really want us to remain. We have two parents who are hurting. We have 30 or more classmates who are hurting, who are trying to come together and heal and breathe, and that’s where our focus as a district will remain."

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