This 11-Year-Old Attempted Suicide After His Older Girlfriend Faked Her Death On Social Media

Unsplash / freestocks.org and Facebook / Katrina Goss

Tysen Benz, an 11-year-old from Ann Arbor, Michigan, attempted to commit suicide after his older girlfriend faked her death over social media.

Benz’s mother, Katrina Goss, found him trying to hang himself on March 15. Benz was put on life support after the incident, but on Tuesday he succumbed to his injuries and passed away.

Facebook / Katrina Benz

Benz’s suicide attempt was due to a “manipulative” prank by his 13-year-old girlfriend, who used her friends and social media to make it look as though she killed herself. However, Goss is still unsure why his girlfriend did this, calling her “manipulative” and “controlling,” despite never having met her.

Benz’s girlfriend remains unnamed because she is a minor. However, that’s not enough to stop Goss from pressing charges.

Facebook / Katrina Goss

“I’m quite angry,” Goss told The Daily Mail. “I feel like, yeah, they’re young and all that, but I feel like when you’re 13, you’re completely knowledgeable of your choices and you know right from wrong. You can make your own choices. I do feel like she took advantage of a younger boy to control and manipulate him.”

As of now, the Marquette Police Department is still investigating Benz’s death. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

Callie is a writer, editor, and publisher at Thought Catalog. Her debut book, ‘The Words We Left Behind,’ was released in January 2024.

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