The family of a 14-year-old Langley, B.C. boy who died of a suspected overdose after being filmed and mocked by his peers unveiled a memorial for the teen on Friday.
A framed hockey jersey bearing the name and a photo of Carson Crimeni, along with a “stop” icon, now hangs at the Langley Sportsplex where he used to play hockey.
Carson Crimeni died after going into medical distress at the Walnut Grove Skatepark in August 2019.
Before he stopped breathing, a series of Snapchat videos was already circulating widely, showing him sweating and jittering in a declining state of health while other teens laughed.
On Friday, Carson’s grandfather Darrel said nothing can bring the teen back, but perhaps the memorial could help other youth realize the dire consequences of their actions.
“It’s just awareness of the dangers of bullying and drugs,” he said through tears. “We hope it helps the community, we can’t do it alone.
“It might help save a family.”
Among those gathered at the event was Isabella Griffiths, a Grade 11 student and a friend of Carson’s.
“People should be more aware that drugs are really dangerous. Carson was my little brother and losing him to drugs and bullying really changed my life,” she said.
“It’s not a game, and people should really realize that it can take someone’s life in a second.”
A watchdog investigation in the wake of Carson’s death cleared police of any wrongdoing.
Langley RCMP officers had been called to conduct a welfare check on the boy, but were unable to locate him.
On Friday, Langley RCMP said its investigation has been completed and the file is with the BC Prosecution Service for their consideration.
Crown prosecutors said the file was currently under charge assessment, but there was no timeline for the process to be completed.
— With files from Rumina Daya
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