An 11-year-old boy took his own life after a prank on social media went horribly wrong. Tysen Benz reacted after his 13-year-old girlfriend faked her own death and her friends posted messages online to convince him that she had died, his mother said. His mum, Katrina Goss said: ‘She did a prank that made it look like she killed herself and used other friends and their [social media] accounts to make it look like she killed herself.’
She told the New York Post: ‘So, he believed her and said “I’m going to kill myself”.’Ms Goss found him on March 14 and he was rushed to hospital but died three weeks later on April 4. She said that he had bought a phone from one of his friends without her knowing and that she didn’t know, or approve, of the relationship with the older girl.
Mrs Goss wants the girl to face legal action – she cannot be named because she is a minor.
She added: ‘I’m quite angry. I feel like, yeah, they’re young and all that, but I feel like when you’re 13, you’re completely knowledgeable of your choices and you know right from wrong. You can make your own choices. I do feel like she took advantage of a younger boy to control and manipulate him. I don’t feel like it should be taken lightly. She should be held legally responsible for this horrific prank.’
Police said they are investigating and the girl could be tried as an adult.