The death of a Massachusetts teenager after his family said he ate an extremely spicy tortilla chip has led to an outpouring of concern about the social media challenge and prompted retailers to pull the product from their shelves at the manufacturer's request.
The family of Harris Wolobah held a vigil Friday, a week after his death on Sept. 1, to remember the basketball-loving 10th grader while they await the results of an autopsy to determine what killed him.The challenge calls for participants to eat an eponymously named chip and then see how long they can go without consuming other food and water. The family has declined interview requests.
Patrick said his 12-year-old son bought the chip at a Walgreens on Tuesday, but the boy's mother made him throw it away. He said his daughter, though, fished it out of the garbage and brought it to school. “I feel bad that his life ended short because of a social media challenge,” said Marcus Kaba, 15, who remembered playing basketball with Harris.
“It hurt, I’m not gonna lie. I was actually a little nervous,” he said. Despite the stomach issues, Diaz said he had planned to try the chip again with some friends. But he decided not to after he heard about Wolobah's death. Sales of the chip seem largely driven by people posting videos on social media of them or their friends taking the challenge. They show people, including children, unwrapping the packaging, eating the chips and then reacting to the heat. Some videos show people gagging, coughing and begging for water.
At the vigil Friday, a crowd of about 100, including many of Wolobah’s friends and teammates, turned out to a park in Worcester, down the hill from his home. They lit candles, swapped stories and ate pizza. Huge photos of the dread-locked teen hung from a statue, surrounded by his name in gold letters and blue and white balloons. Tiny basketballs were handed out.
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