Incident inspired by Squid Game ends in tragedy: 12-year-old dies
Twelve-year-old Sebastian Cizman, described as “the star of his class,” tragically lost his life while attempting to reenact a scene from the globally popular TV series Squid Game.
- World
- A News
- Published Date: 03:07 | 31 December 2025
- Modified Date: 03:13 | 31 December 2025
The child was found unresponsive at home by a cousin as they were bringing upstairs ice cream his father had brought home. Sebastian was taken to hospital but could not be saved despite all medical efforts.
As part of the forensic investigation into the death, police reportedly found an image on Sebastian's phone from the series Squid Game showing a character in a fatal scene. It was determined that the child had shared the image in a WhatsApp group one day before his death.
Sebastian was described as a well-liked, popular, and "playful" student at school. According to the investigation file, he often made his friends laugh and had previously pretended to faint while playing.
Police determined that Sebastian had searched YouTube for a first-aid video on "how to survive choking alone." However, investigators found no evidence that he had viewed content related to dangerous challenges. It was established only that he had watched the series Squid Game.
Detective Sergeant Paul Bayliss, who is leading the investigation, said that Sebastian's interest in the series, the images found on his phone, and his "playful personality" strengthened the possibility that the tragedy may have resulted from a prank attempt that ended in disaster.