Overview
- School officials say a sixth-grade boy became unresponsive after choking inside Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community School and was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
- Yonkers authorities and local reporting place the medical emergency at about 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday, and first responders attempted resuscitation at the scene.
- Police have opened an investigation that includes a developing, unverified line of inquiry into whether the TikTok “One Bite” challenge was involved; local reports also say the student may have been eating a donut but those details are not confirmed.
- Yonkers Public Schools Superintendent Anibal Soler Jr. and Mayor Mike Spano issued statements expressing grief and said the district is focused on caring for the child’s classmates, teachers and staff.
- The community will watch the police findings for clarity on cause and for any school or city reviews that could follow as families and school staff seek support and answers.