Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington was an 11-year-old boy who was found dead after taking part in a TikTok challenge on March 2, 2024, Saturday. The family said that the incident took place at a friend’s house in Lancaster.
Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington was a School student who reported a cardiac arrest at around 12:30 pm, after participating in chroming, the current social media challenge.
What is Chroming?
Chroming is a trendy social media challenge which is otherwise known as huffing and sniffing. In this challenge, people inhale toxic chemicals like aerosol cans, paint, solvents, cleaning liquids, and petrol.
The term was originally used in Australia for the first time. The toxic fumes that go into the central nervous system affect it by slowing down brain functions.
The Mirror reported that it can cause disorientation, nausea, slurred speech, dizziness, and hallucinations.
A TikToker told The Mirror that, until now no concrete evidence is available if chroming originated in the social media platform or was a specific challenge.
Tommie-Lee Gracie Billington Death News
When Tommie-Lee reportedly suffered cardiac arrest, he was immediately rushed to the hospital. However, he couldn’t be saved.
Lancaster Police said that, currently the death of the 11-year-old is “treated as unexplained.” As reported by Daily Mail, an investigation is going on by the police.
Tommie-Lee’s family alleged that the 11-year-old boy met his ultimate demise by participating in a recent trend on TikTok.
Tina Burns, his grandmother in the Lancashire Post stated,
“He died instantly after a sleepover at a friend’s house. The boys had tried the TikTok craze ‘chroming’. Tommie-Lee went into cardiac arrest immediately and died right there and then. The hospital did everything to try and bring him back but nothing worked. He was gone.”
The deceased boy lived with Sherri, his mother in Lancaster. The Mirror reported that his father’s side of the family lives in the South Ribble area and Clayton-le-Woods of Lancashire.
In the wake of this scenario, both families strongly stated that kids should “not be allowed to be on social media.” Rather the social media platform should also be taken down, reported the New York Post.
Sheri, Tommie-Lee’s mother went to Facebook and requested the parents to not let the deodorants come in contact with their children. So that the children stay away from the Chroming challenge.
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According to Daily Mail, “Since 2018 the Chroming trend has been prevalent in the UK, even before the launch of TikTok.”
