People attend a candlelight vigil for 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict on February 24, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.Photo:J Pat Carter/Getty
J Pat Carter/Getty
Multiple vigils have been held to rememberNex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager who died one day after a physical altercation with a group of other students at their Owasso, Okla., high school.
NBC Newsreportedthat a vigil was held Sunday in the 16-year-old’s hometown, while CBS Newsreportedthat more than a dozen vigils were scheduled around the country this past weekend.
Dozens of people gathered at a church in McAlester, Okla., on Friday to remember the high school sophomore, who used they/them pronouns, according to CBS. That was one day before another group gathered on the Boston Common park in Massachusetts on Saturday to hold another vigil.
“They were always someone who was never afraid to be who they are,” said Ally, a friend and classmate of Nex’s who spoke to NBC. “It was like wherever they went, you were going to accept them, and if you didn’t, that was your problem, and they were going to make it your problem."
Tyler Wrynn, one of Nex’s former teachers, also spoke to the outlet at Sunday’s vigil.
“Nex was a fiery kid,” Wrynn said, adding that Nex “would light up a room and jump to defend any of [their] friends if they were getting picked on.”
The Owasso Police Department later announced that Nex’s death a day later was “not a result of trauma,” basing the assessment off “preliminary information from the medical examiner’s office.”
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“The Benedicts know all too well the devastating effects of bullying and school violence, and pray for meaningful change wherein bullying is taken seriously and no family has to deal with another preventable tragedy,” the statement adds, in part, per the outlet.
The family urged officials involved in the case to conduct a fair investigation. The family is also investigating the case themselves.
“Notwithstanding, the family is independently interviewing witnesses and collecting all available evidence,” the family said, per News on 6. “The Benedict Family calls on all school, local, state and national officials to join forces to determine why this happened, to hold those responsible to account and to ensure it never happens again.”
“The family graciously accepts and appreciates the outpouring of support, thoughts and prayers from across the nation for the loss of their child. In the coming weeks and months they request that their privacy be respected and that they be allowed to grieve and deal with their new reality—a life without Nex,” the family added.
Police previously said detectives were interviewing school staff and students regarding the incident and will turn over the investigation to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.
Owasso Public Schools said in astatementlast week that there has been an increase in “speculation and misinformation surrounding the case.”
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Once the altercation was broken up, all involved students walked to the assistant principal’s office and nurse’s office, according to school officials. District administrators then took statements from the students present in the restroom and contacted their parents, or guardians.
“We understand that for many, additional questions remain, however these are the facts that we are able to communicate at this juncture,” school officials said in their statement. “We will continue to cooperate fully with the Owasso Police Department’s investigation.”
source: people.com
