Family members, friends and classmates said their final goodbyes to an 11-year-old boy who took his own life after a social media prank went too far.
Dozens of mourners were photographed making their way inside the Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home on Third Street in Marquette, Michigan on Tuesday afternoon to attend the funeral service of Tysen Benz.
The sixth-grader died April 11th after being taken off of life support roughly three weeks after he hung himself on March 14.
'Tysen was beloved by everyone who ever met him. He possessed a contagious smile and a personality which you couldn't help but absolutely love.' his obituary reads.
'You could tell by his nature that everything he did was done with heart and passion, showing great strength, determination, and courage.
'He was extremely kind, fun, hilarious, sweet, smart, strong, adventurous, and charismatic...and, he never ever gave up!
'Being in his presence was a joy and you never forgot how kind and engaging this phenomenal young person was.'
His mother, Katrina Goss, has said that his 13-year-old girlfriend was 'solely responsible' for his suicide.
Tragic: Family members, friends and classmates said their final goodbyes to, Tysen Benz (above), an 11-year-old boy who took his own life after a social media prank went too far
Dozens of mourners were photographed making their way inside the Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home on Third Street in Marquette, Michigan on Tuesday afternoon (above) to attend his funeral service
Classmates of the 11-year-old boy were photographed attending the emotional funeral service on Tuesday
Many of the mourners, including young children, left the funeral home in Marquette visibly shaken up after his service
Many in the community who knew Benz loved him, as his mother had described her son as an athlete, comedian, friend, brother and all-around amazing child
Marquette City Police have charged a juvenile with malicious use of telecommunication services and using a computer to commit a crime.
The first charge is a misdemeanor which carries a six-month sentence in the state of Michigan. Using a computer to commit a crime is punishable by a year in prison. The name of the juvenile has not been released.
Marquette County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Wiese said he 'didn't disagree' with Goss's allegations, and confirmed that the girl texted Benz, faking her own suicide, hours before he took his own life.
'She was mean to him, controlled him, and took advantage of him, even after I repeatedly told her to leave him alone,' Goss said.
'He was the happiest, most joyous child until he met her,' Goss told BuzzFeed News.
Pictured above is the front cover of the funeral program for Benz on Tuesday afternoon
The inside of the funeral program had a photo of the 11-year-old boy along with a poem
Many of the children who attended the service on Tuesday were comforted by their parents at the Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home
As people arrived for the funeral service, mourners were photographed consoling each other before hand
His obituary reads: 'Tysen was beloved by everyone who ever met him. He possessed a contagious smile and a personality which you couldn't help but absolutely love'. Pictured above is the funeral home showing mourners before the service
His heartbroken mother said that she found her son hanging by the neck on March 14 in his room after seeing social media posts and texts that his 13-year-old girlfriend had killed herself.
Goss said the girl and some of her friends orchestrated the prank.
'I don't know what possessed her to do such a weird prank. It's a twisted, sick joke,' she said.
A friend of the two children, Avery Mitchell, said that the unnamed girl plotted the hoax to see if Benz 'really loved her and he took it the wrong way.'
'She didn't mean to hurt him [because] they loved each other,' Mitchell said.
Goss said that after seeing posts about his girlfriend, Tysen replied over social media that he was going to kill himself. Even then, she said, those involved in the prank didn't tell an adult.
'She did a prank that made it look like she killed herself and used other friends and their [social media] accounts to make it look like she killed herself,' Goss told the New York Post. 'So, he believed her and said, 'I'm going to kill myself.''
The sixth-grader (above) died April 11th after being taken off of life support roughly three weeks after he hung himself on March 14
His heartbroken mother said that she found her son hanging by the neck on March 14 in his room after seeing social media posts and texts that his 13-year-old girlfriend had killed herself. Goss said the girl and her friends orchestrated the prank
Goss described her son as an athlete, comedian, friend, brother and all-around amazing child.
Things started to go wrong when he bought a cellphone from a friend behind her back and started 'secretly dating' the older girl against his mother's wishes.
Goss said that she was '100 per cent' against the relationship between the two, because of their age difference.
She never met the girl, who other students called his girlfriend, but said she saw her several times while picking up and dropping off her son at Bothwell Middle School.
She called the prank 'controlling, harassing and manipulative.'
'I'm quite angry,' Goss said. '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.
'I don't feel like it should be taken lightly. She should be held legally responsible for this horrific prank,' she said.
'The whole thing happened in about 40 minutes,' Goss said. 'He was fine and then I found him. I don't know what she said she did to herself.'
Tysen was rushed to an area hospital and later transferred to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor, near Detroit.
'Social media harassment, bullying and pranking is a huge issue,' Goss added. 'The way it's used nowadays, kids are desensitized to social media and it really does hurt people.'
Weise added that the tragic incident serves as a lesson for parents to be more vigilante of their children's communications online, and hopes that the charges against the juvenile will put others 'on notice' for their activity online.
'What happens in the digital and social media world also impacts the actual world we live in. Reckless comments that rise to the level of criminal behavior need to be put out there so there's accountability.'
A GoFundMe campaign created on March 20 has raised more than $42,000 of the $100,000 goal towards his medical and funeral costs.
For readers seeking support, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or by clicking here.
FULL OBITUARY OF 11-YEAR-OLD TYSEN BENZ
William Wallace once said, "Every man dies. Not every man really lives." Tysen Jade Benz, who came into this world August 30, 2005, at Marquette, Michigan, passed away at CS Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, in the loving, comforting care of his family and family friend, Joana Duquette. An all too brief eleven years which is honored and celebrated more for its quality than for its heartbreaking quantity.
Tysen was beloved by everyone who ever met him. He possessed a contagious smile and a personality which you couldn't help but absolutely love. You could tell by his nature that everything he did was done with heart and passion, showing great strength, determination, and courage. He was extremely kind, fun, hilarious, sweet, smart, strong, adventurous, and charismatic...and, he never ever gave up! Being in his presence was a joy and you never forgot how kind and engaging this phenomenal young person was.
Tysen was extremely athletic, excelling in his favorite sports, MSA travel soccer, MJH hockey, MJG golf, MMSR skiing and snowboarding, performing flips, tricks and rails. Summers were especially filled with displays of his athletic prowess. He loved doing daring flips and jumps off the Black Rocks Cliffs, AuTrain bridge, sand walls/dunes, Lower Harbor dock wall, and at Peak Gym and many other places. He truly had no fear which was obvious in everything he accomplished.
Tysen was also very creative at fixing, making, and building things, while also being an excellent helper. He helped create and plan the building project for a huge all season ski ramp, complete with rails, for the backyard with his Papa Chris.
He was never idle, always active each and every day.
Tysen's years may have been brief on this earth, but every single one was filled with so many joyous and eventful activities that he "lived more" in his short life than most do in a full lifetime. He was simply excited about the pure joy and wonder of life itself!
We, as his family, are so blessed and honored to have been gifted with Tysen as our family member and we will forever hold him in our hearts and never ever forget him. We will honor his memory each and every day and relish the blessing he, himself, had brought us by just being him. We love you so very much sweet Tysen, always in our minds and hearts and never ever forgotten.
Tysen is survived by his mother, Katrina Goss of Marquette; his father, Raymond Benz;two brothers, Julian Greason and Aundraes Benz both of Marquette; paternal half brother & paternal half sister, Jordan Benz of Marquette and Kayleonna Solberg of Baraga; maternal grandparents, Al and Jayne Hauptman of Marquette and Christopher Goss of Deerton; paternal grandparents, Marcella and Lee Hadden of Mt. Pleasant and Thomas Armiga of Marquette; maternal great-grandmother, Vivian Rousseau; aunt and uncle, Carlye (Guy) Bryan of Portland, OR; and many other family and friends.
"Good night sweet prince: and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! (from Hamlet by William Shakespeare).Tysen's life will be honored and celebrated at the Swanson-Lundquist Funeral Home on Tuesday, April 11, beginning at 4:00 pm until the time of service at 7:00 pm. Rev. Leon Jarvis will preside and refreshments will be served during visitation.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family.
Condolences may be expressed online at swansonlundquistfuneralhome.com
Source: Swanson Lundquist Funeral Home
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWKBdXyScWptZ32kwrO6xKuqZquRrnqou86dmbKdXWZ%2BbsXEmqlmp5yZeqO72GaioqScmrFutMimqp6klmO1tbnL