14-Year-Old Boy Shoots Parents Dead, Kills Self Allegedly As Part Of 'Blue Whale' Challenge

A 14-year-old boy fatally shot sleeping parents before killing himself allegedly as part of the "blue whale" challenge.

Neighbors rushed to the family’s home in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after the teen’s elder brother ran to them and said his "younger brother had gone berserk."

"We woke up at three in the morning with a violent knock on our door. The older child came to us and said, 'Save me,'" a neighbor told local daily Sözcü. (Google translation showed)

The neighbors found 52-year-old Ibrahim Cobanoglu, with his wife, 48-year-old Bengu, lying in a pool of blood in the bedroom. The neighbors immediately contacted the police who arrived and pronounced the two dead. They said the couple was shot dead in their sleep.

The officers then found the teen, identified as Cinar Cobanoglu, with serious injuries. They rushed him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

The parents "lost their lives at the scene by being shot with a pistol in the bedroom of their residence. Cınar Cobanoglu was taken to a state hospital, despite all the interventions, lost his life because he could not be saved," a police spokesperson told the outlet.

Police were investigating to find out if the teen was influenced by the challenge.

"Blue whale" is an online suicide challenge that involves several tasks, escalating for close to two months. The challenge usually ends with the victims being encouraged to kill themselves. The challenge has already taken the lives of several children across many countries.

Two years ago, a 13 year-old-girl from Adana, Turkey, fatally shot herself after being influenced by the challenge. Emine Karadağ followed the instructions given in the online challenge and killed herself using her father’s licensed rifle. She was found dead in her bed. The family went through her notes following the incident and found pictures of whales and a list of things to do "before I die." The family also found a note saying "Suicide is an escape."