New York school investigates whether viral social media challenge played a role in 12-year-old boy’s death by choking

A 12-year-old boy died after choking at a school in Yonkers, New York, according to NBC New York. The incident reportedly took place at Sonia Sotomayor Community School, and authorities are now looking into whether a viral social media challenge may have contributed to his death. School officials said, the boy has been identified by his family as Jacob Medina.

According to Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr., Jacob was on his way to his next class when he began showing signs of distress. School staff were not entirely certain what he was choking on, but officials suggested it might have been a doughnut. An adult was reportedly present with Jacob when the choking began.

“He was actually with an adult when he started to exhibit some of these signs of choking. So immediately there was actually somebody with him, and within seconds, probably less than 10 seconds, additional adults came to try to administer emergency life-saving procedures on the young man,” Superintendent Soler said.

Staff attempted multiple life-saving techniques before Jacob was declared dead

According to Superintendent Soler, school staff tried the Heimlich maneuver, back slaps, and eventually CPR in an effort to save Jacob. None of these measures appeared to be successful in dislodging whatever was in his throat, and Jacob died at the scene.

Yonkers police said they are now investigating whether Jacob was attempting to complete a recent social media challenge at the time of the incident. The specific challenge in question has not been officially confirmed by authorities, but the investigation is reportedly looking into whether a TikTok trend may have been involved. Health experts and officials have raised growing concerns about how much time children spend on screens and social media.

“Anything about a TikTok challenge, anything about witness statements, we are going to investigate,” Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said. According to officials, it is simply one avenue being explored as part of the broader investigation into what happened. The school is also reportedly working to reassure parents that it remains safe for their children to attend.

Jacob’s family told NBC New York that he was a kind and loving boy who was caring and sweet to his younger cousins, and they are still waiting for answers about what actually caused his death. Officials said flowers and candles were placed in front of the school on Thursday evening by family members paying tribute to Jacob. This is not the first time a school incident has left a family demanding answers, as a Texas elementary school recently came under fire after a 6-year-old Hispanic student was excluded from his graduation.

Emily Sanchez, a community member with an 11-year-old son, said the Yonkers news hit close to home. “It hits close to home. Having an 11-year-old son, having him go to school every day, wondering, just making sure that he’s safe,” she said.

The investigation is ongoing, and no conclusions have been reached about what prompted Jacob to start choking, according to officials. Police have indicated they will look into all available witness statements and any evidence related to a possible social media challenge, and the school is cooperating with the investigation.