How 14-year-old boy died after attempting viral TikTok challenge
Harris Wolobah, a 14-year-old tenth-grade student from Worcester, Massachusetts, has died after participating in the popular TikTok trend known as the ‘One Chip Challenge.’
According to NBC Boston, Harris died on the same day he attempted the challenge.
The ‘One Chip Challenge’ involves consuming an extremely spicy chip and then enduring as long as possible without eating or drinking anything else.
On September 1, Harris’s mother was summoned to the school after he complained of severe stomach pain. The boy had consumed the dangerously spicy chip, which had been given to him by a classmate.
After returning home, Harris’s condition initially improved. However, at around 4:30 pm, just as he was preparing to go to basketball tryouts, he suddenly collapsed.
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Worcester Telegram reported that Police Lieutenant Sean Murtha stated that the young teenager was unresponsive and not breathing when help arrived. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was later declared deceased.
While Harris’s tragic death is the first known fatality associated with consuming the ‘One Chip Challenge,’ other children have required medical attention after attempting it.
In 2022, a school district in Lafayette, Louisiana banned these chips from all campuses following multiple incidents of students needing medical assistance.
Similarly, in Dunwood, Georgia, paramedics were called to a high school, prompting local police to issue a warning regarding the snack.
The exact contribution of the spicy chip to Harris’s untimely passing is yet to be determined, and an autopsy is pending.
On September 3, Dr. Rachel Monárrez, the Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools, released a statement published on the Worcester Public Schools website. In the statement, she referred to Harris as a “rising star.”
