Death of ‘caring’ teenager may have been from TikTok ‘challenge’

Summary

A 16-year-old teenager, Maxwell Mills, was found dead at his home in Christchurch, England, in February after reportedly searching for TikTok videos on how to make himself pass out. Max, described as caring and respectful, had been referred to CAMHS after acting out of character weeks before his death but was categorized as low risk. He was found hanging in the kitchen of his home on 2nd February, and a post-mortem confirmed the cause of death was hanging. A coroner noted that Max’s intentions were unclear, but his searches suggested a possible link to the TikTok "blackout challenge." His ex-girlfriend expressed concern in a WhatsApp conversation hours before his death, but Max assured her he would not harm himself. The coroner ruled the death as involving a ligature, with no clear evidence of intent to die.