A man has been arrested following the tragic death of 11-year-old Tommie-lee Gracie Billington, who died during a sleepover at a friend’s house on March 2 due to a “TikTok craze” gone wrong. An investigation revealed Tommie-lee lost consciousness at a Lancaster home after “inhaling toxic substances.” He suffered cardiac arrest in front of his friends and died shortly after being rushed to hospital. The deadly TikTok ‘trend’ involved inhaling substances that slow down brain activity, causing dizziness, hallucinations, nausea and disorientation. It can also cause heart attacks or suffocation.
Lancashire Police confirmed the arrest of a 25-year-old man from Lancaster on suspicion of child cruelty, neglect, possession with intent to supply drugs and money laundering. He has been released on bail pending further investigations. A 35-year-old woman was also voluntarily interviewed in relation to possession with intent to supply. She has been released under investigation, he said daily mail.
Tommie-lee’s devastated grandmother Tina Burns spoke out after the tragedy. She said: “She had a heart of gold like her father. Our family is completely devastated. She died instantly after a sleepover at a friend’s house. Tommie-Lee immediately went into cardiac arrest and died on the spot. The hospital did everything they could to try to bring him back, but nothing worked. He had left.”
Burns, a teaching assistant, added, “Our families are completely devastated, but we all want the same thing. We don’t want any other kids to follow TikTok or be on social media. In fact, we want TikTok to be removed and children under 16 not allowed on any social media. “This is breaking us all down, but we want to help save other children’s lives and raise awareness among families to keep their children safe.”
She also shared that many parents have thanked her for raising awareness. “One person said that he had no idea about this crazy stuff on social media and that his children stay happy in their rooms on TikTok. She never knew there were things like this in him. “She has now deleted all social media from her devices and she is very grateful that we are talking openly about it.”
Tommie-lee’s mother, Sherri, issued a stern warning to parents on Facebook. “As much as I hate talking about it, I need to raise awareness about what kids are trying today. This cost my son his life for trying something other kids are doing. They’re using this and breathing to try to get a buzz. It’s very dangerous”. Sherri urged parents to talk to their children about the consequences of such actions. “Please talk to your children about the consequences of this. “I have no idea how this came about for kids to try.”