Vigil held for nonbinary Oklahoma teenager who died following a school bathroom fight
EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — More than two dozen individuals gathered at an Oklahoma church for a vigil for Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager who died sooner or later after a combat in a highschool rest room.
The vigil at All Saints Episcopal Church in McAlester was organized by the McAlester Rainbow Connection. It was one in every of two Friday night time in Oklahoma, the primary of greater than a dozen vigils scheduled nationwide by Monday.
Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Oklahoma scholar, died the day after a combat in an Owasso High School rest room.
The 16-year-old Oklahoma scholar recognized as nonbinary and used they/them pronouns. Three women, who have been selecting on Benedict and a few mates, attacked the teenager for pouring water on them, Benedict informed police in a video launched Friday.
The teen’s mom known as emergency responders to the house the day after the combat, saying Benedict’s respiration was shallow, their eyes have been rolling again and their fingers have been curled, based on audio additionally launched by Owasso police.
Matt Blancett, who organized the vigil with the Rainbow Connection, an LGBTQ+ group, stated it was necessary to carry a vigil in McAlester due to the homicide of Dustin Parker, a transgender man, in 2020.
“It shows people that we have a community, we are here, we’re not going anywhere,” Blancett stated.
All Saints Priest Janie Koch stated it is crucial for individuals to succeed in out for help.
“It is very very important as the gamut of emotions are cycling to watch out for each other, to be mindful of one another,” Koch stated.
In audio of the decision to police, Benedict’s mom, Sue Benedict, stated she needed to file prices. The officer who responded may be heard within the hospital video explaining that the teenager began the altercation by throwing the water and the courtroom would view it as a mutual combat.
According to a police search warrant, Benedict’s mom indicated to police on Feb. 7 that she didn’t need to file prices at the moment. She as a substitute requested police to talk to officers at Owasso High School about points on campus amongst college students.
The Feb. 9 search warrant, which was filed with the courtroom on Feb. 21, additionally reveals investigators took 137 images on the faculty, together with contained in the lady’s rest room the place the combat occurred. They additionally collected two swabs of stains from the toilet and retrieved data and paperwork of the scholars concerned within the altercation.
While the two-week-old warrant states that police have been looking for proof in a felony homicide, the division has since stated Benedict’s demise was not a results of accidents suffered within the combat, based mostly on the preliminary outcomes of the post-mortem.
The police division has stated it gained’t remark additional on the teenager’s explanation for demise till toxicology and different post-mortem outcomes are accomplished.
Additional vigils are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in varied Oklahoma cities and others have been held or are deliberate in a number of states, together with California, Washington, Minnesota, New Jersey, Texas and New York.
Ken Miller, The Associated Press
