Photo Cred: Bruno Vincent / Getty Images
Earlier this week, 11-yar-old Tysen Benz died at the University of Michigan Hospital, after he attempted to take his life three weeks prior.
Benz’s mother, Katrina Goss, is breaking her silence and speaking out and raising awareness about her son’s death. She has revealed that a “social media prank” is what caused his tragic death. The 13-year-old girl involved can’t be identified due to the fact that she is a minor.
“She told him she was going to kill herself and used other friends’ social media accounts to put forth further fake proof that she did so,” Goss said of the prank that sparked her son’s suicide attempt. “He even said he was going to kill himself and she didn’t make any attempt to call me or someone else to try to stop him. (His death) should never have happened,” she said of her son, who spent three weeks on life support following the attempt.
“Please monitor all of your children’s technology usage,” Goss warns parents. “It is not an invasion of privacy. It is imperative to know what they are doing and to whom they are socializing with.”
According to reports, Benz’s mother said she told the older girl to leave her son alone, adding that she “even messaged the parent and aunt to no avail.”
As a result of Benz’s untimely death, sources reveal that the Marquette County Prosecutor’s Office has authorized charges for the minor of malicious use of telecommunication services and using a computer to commit a crime.
“I greatly hope they give her the maximum charges possible,” Goss told reporters. “It was a calculated act and she needs to be held responsible.”