Boy may have died playing viral game

SAN ANTONIO — A horrific social media game that seems to be spreading across the nation and globe apparently claimed the life of one 15-year-old San Antonian, who was found hanging in his bedroom closet Saturday.

Isaiah Gonzalez, who was found by his 18-year-old sister, may have used his cellphone to show his death on the internet.

Isaiah’s story is not unique. CNN reported on Monday that a 16-yearold unidentified girl in Atlanta is believed to have recently taken her life while participating in the challenge. If true, the two cases appear to be the first deaths in U.S. linked to the internet fad.

The game is called the Blue Whale Challenge, and whether it represents a widespread internet contagion or an urban legend that has swept up a handful of vulnerable teens still isn’t known.

Essentially, the challenge is a sort of obstacle course that happens over 50 days. On the final day, the participant is supposed to commit suicide and post it on social media.

If alarm is its goal, it’s succeeding. Whether urban legend or reality, there is no doubt that parents, law enforcement, and school authorities are concerned about what appears to be one of the web’s darker phenomena. Over the past few weeks, several school districts across the country have issued warnings to parents about the potential risks of the Blue Whale Challenge.

A spokesperson for Houston ISD could not be reached for comment. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo

said he is unaware of any incidents in the city.

The 50 daily dares are assigned by an anonymous administrator — or “curator” — and the participant is supposed to submit photo evidence each day to prove each task is complete.

The tasks escalate in danger and include everything from watching horror movies, drinking bleach and committing acts of self-mutilation.

Since the challenge takes place on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, it’s hard for authorities to prove its existence, law enforcement officials say. Some reports suggest teens get drawn into the game via cellphone apps and chat rooms.

Isaiah’s father, Jorge Gonzalez, 41, a retired Marine, said his son’s death only makes sense as a result of his involvement in the macabre online game.

“He wasn’t depressed, he had no issues, he wasn’t on drugs, he had no enemies, no one was bullying him,” he said.

Gonzalez himself had learned of the challenge two weeks ago when someone sent him a Facebook message about it. He sat all four of his children down and warned them.

“Isaiah said, ‘No, Dad, I wouldn’t do anything like that,’” he said.

After his son’s death, Gonzalez found a cellphone photo his son had taken as he placed a rope around his neck.

“I don’t think he meant to take his own life, I think he made the rope too tight and he passed out,” he said.

Another clue that Isaiah had been pulled into Blue Whale, Gonzalez said, was a video he’d posted on Instagram as he drank some bleach. The day before he died, Isaiah had gone to Six Flags Fiesta Texas with family members, where he stayed on his phone the entire time, headphones on.

In another post, Isaiah made reference to “666” — indicating he would take his life in “six days, six hours, six seconds,” Gonzalez said.

“Only in reading more and researching more about the Blue Whale Challenge did it make sense, the way he was acting that last couple days of his life,” he said.

Asked by the San Antonio Express-News if police could confirm Isaiah died as a result of the game, SAPD media spokesman Sgt. Jesse Salame said in an email that the department “has no indication that an internet challenge had any role in the death of the teen. The case is being looked at by our homicide unit.”

The police report makes no mention of a cellphone recording the death.

According to the police report, Isaiah had joked to a family member about committing suicide, but “she did not think he would actually do it. (She) had no knowledge of Isaiah having any trouble in his personal life.”

Media reports say the game may have started in Russia two years ago and has since been implicated in the deaths of 130 young people in that country.

Some reports suggest some online administrators threaten the youths, saying they’ll hurt their families if they don’t complete the tasks, or will divulge personal information about them if they cease playing the game.

Jane Pearson, who oversees youth suicide research for the National Institute of Mental Health, said the fact school districts are issuing warnings about the game is wise. The threat of contagion — the rapid-fire way ideas and trends can spread among youths — means everyone must take the dangers seriously.

The key is that children and youth be connected to “a trusted adult.”

“We hope that’s the parent, but it might not be,” she said.