Sherman Lackland (pictured), 21, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a weapon
A 17-year-old boy is fighting for his life at a Tennessee hospital Saturday night after a botched attempt at mimicking an Internet craze left him in critical condition.
Sherman Lackland, 21, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a weapon after he accidentally shot his friend in the head while enacting his rendition of the ‘No Lackin Challenge.’
The fad, popping up on social media sites with greater frequency over the past several month, shows young people pulling guns on one another and filming the response.
Participants are not suppose to fire on one another.
The term refers to ‘lacking’ a gun or fire arm, a way to test the readiness of an individual should they need a firearm to protect themselves or use for a more sinister purpose.
The ‘no lackin’ fad shows young people pulling guns on one another and filming the response
The term refers to ‘lacking’ a gun or fire arm, a way to test the readiness of an individual should they need a firearm
The pair were sitting in a booth at E’s Cafe in Memphis around 5.15pm Thursday evening when the incident occurred, local police told CBS affiliate WREG 13.
‘All young kids,’ said Ron Eanes, area manager at E’s Cafe. ‘They were sitting there talking, and they started showing each other a gun and it accidentally went off.’
Eanes added: ‘Such stupidity. Anybody could get hurt.’
The pair were sitting in a booth at E’s Cafe in Memphis around 5.15pm Thursday evening when the incident occurred
Luckily for the wounded teenager, a doctor happened to be eating inside the restaurant when the gun went off, and immediately tended to the boy’s care.
The 17-year-old was then taken to Methodist University Hospital, situated across the street from the diner, and treated inside the ER. The boy remains in critical condition.
Witness Thomas Fitzpatrick told the broadcaster: ‘[There was] a real loud bang, then I see the guy across from [Lackland] fall in the floor.
‘He started grabbing him and telling him to get up and then he was kind of mad and was swinging stools and stuff.’
The ‘No Lackin” challenge is currently the most dangerous Internet craze to sweep Youtube.
Several other dangerous fads like the Tide Pod challenge, where teenagers dare each other to eat laundry detergent pouches, and the Ice and Salt challenge are also issues communities are struggling to contain, according to The Sun.
Kids who participate in the Tide Pod challenge have reportedly suffered from severe medical problem after ingesting the soap, while the Ice and Salt challenge has led to young people suffering from extreme burns similar to frostbite.
The ‘No Lackin” challenge is currently the most dangerous Internet craze to sweep Youtube