Child deaths blamed on TikTok "blackout challenge" spark outcry

TikTok is under fire for an online dare dubbed the "blackout challenge" that has been linked to several child deaths. As reported by CBS4 in Denver, the social media stunt encourages young people to hold their breath until they pass out. 

Joshua Haileyesus, a 12-year-old from Aurora, Colorado, was found unconscious in his home on March 22 and was put on life support in the hospital, according to CBS4 in Denver.  He died 19 days later. His family believes the young boy accidentally choked himself with a shoelace while attempting the blackout challenge viewed on TikTok, the video-sharing app known for its dance snippets and other viral videos. "Brilliant, smart, funny, outgoing, you know, he's the light for our house," Haileyesus Zeryihun, Joshua's father, told correspondent Femi Redwood. "Right now, it's very quiet. I don't even hear any loud noise at home anymore, you know, that is the one that really gets me, too."