Bullied Teen's Death from Apparent Overdose Played out on Social Media
Aron Crimeni reacts to flowers for his son, Carson, near the spot where he died of an overdose in Langley August 13, 2019.
I remember seeing posts on my social media about a teen being filmed on Snapchat as he overdosed on MDMA. I remember not wanting to read about this horrific story. Ever since becoming a father I avoid tragic stories involving youth. A couple of days later, I was contacted by the Globe and Mail to follow up on a story by Nancy Macdonald about the bullied teen. His name was Carson Crimeni and was only fourteen.
This quote by Nancy just puts me to tears every time I read it:
“So the invitation to hang out with a group of much older teens on Aug. 7 was a thrill. But the warm, summer night ended with Carson’s death from an apparent overdose, as he was taunted by people he thought were his friends. Instead of calling for help, they made him a meme. —Nancy Macdonald, The Globe and Mail”
Darrel Crimeni holds a photo of his grandson, Carson.
I was to meet the writer at the father’s apartment just outside of Vancouver. I remember driving to his home and wondering if he would even let me take photos. It seemed too soon. How is he coping with all of this. When I arrived he was about 15 minutes late. His family was at a funeral home making arrangements. The writer Nancy Macdonald soon arrived and he led us into his small humble apartment that he had shared with Carson. It was a one bedroom and Carson used the front living room. The room was sparse with one photo of Carson hanging near the door and a few of Carson’s belongings on a table. I also noticed several rolls of tissue paper scattered around the room. Which seemed out of place.
Carson’s father speaks to us about his son. Telling us that he wants people to know what happened as a warning to parents.
While the father was telling us about some of the things Carson enjoyed doing, he broke down. He grabbed a roll of tissue paper, pulled off a length to wipe away his tears. And then I noticed a large makeshift garbage can in the back of the room overflowing with tissue paper. I then realized he wasn’t coping. It was just important that his son’s death not be in vain. He wanted everyone to know what happened.
Darrel Crimeni sits in his grandson’s room. The teen had lived with his grandfather while his father was away trying to find work.
Carson was very close to his grandfather Darrel, who he called Nonno. While his father was away Carson lived with his grandfather for a number of years. Darrel and I spoke about raising boys and my trepidation about finding hobbies or sports my son would enjoy. Darrel offered some advice on getting my son enrolled in skating early if he ever wanted to play hockey. He had spent many early mornings driving his grandson to practice. He admitted Carson wasn’t very good at the sport but he had enjoyed it.
Darrel found his grandson at this spot while police tried to revive him. It was only about 800 metres from his home.
I wonder what makes people bully others. I’m horrified that people who were watching the Snapchat live feed as Carson was dying didn’t do anything about it. I have hopes for my son’s future. But I also worry. Darrel kept saying “What if …”. Which all parents do. We worry. We hope. And I held my son close that night.
