Man arrested after 11-year-old boy dies attempting TikTok “chroming” challenge

11-year-old Tommy-lee Gracie Billington lost consciousness after reportedly participating in TikTok’s viral “chroming” challenge, and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The incident occurred on March 2 while the tween was at a friend’s house for a sleepover. 

Reports claim that the fatal accident was linked to TikTok’s “chroming” challenge, where participants inhale toxic fumes from sources like aerosol cans, spray deodorants, or even spray paints in order to achieve a “high.”

In June 2024, Lancashire Police announced an update to the case that “devastated” the young boy’s family.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested in connection to Tommy-lee’s death on suspicion of “child cruelty, neglect, possession with intent to supply a drug and money laundering,” as per reports from Metro.

A 35-year-old woman was also interviewed as part of the investigation due to allegations of “possession with intent to supply.”

The boy’s grandmother, Tina Burns, claimed her grandson “died instantly” at the sleepover, where he and his friends had supposedly tried out “chroming” after seeing the viral trend online.

Now, Burns and her family want TikTok banned — something the US government is already considering within its borders.

“Both our families are utterly devastated, but we all want the same thing,” Burns explained in a statement to the Lancashire Post. “We don’t want any other children to follow TikTok or be on social media.”

“In fact, we want to get TikTok taken down, and no children to be allowed on any social media under 16 years of age. This is breaking us all, but we want to help save other children’s lives and give families awareness to keep their children safe.”

Unsplash: May Gauthier

Tommy-lee is the most recent child to die from the viral “chroming” challenge, following the deaths of 13-year-old Esra Haynes, 14-year-old Sarah Mescall, and the hospitalization of 12-year-old Tiegan Solomon earlier this year.

Although TikTok has made changes to its platform in order to reduce harmful content in the past, a slew of dangerous trends continue to crop up on the app, including the “blackout challenge” that has claimed the lives of several children whose parents are now taking legal action against the Bytedance-owned company.