Jonathan Galindo is an unsettling presence that’s creating chaos online, using frightening masks to mislead children and teens into believing there’s danger lurking behind their computers screens.
They insist on playing a potentially fatal game called Blue Whale that involves 50 steps leading up to suicide as its final one.
A Waltham Man Faces Charges in Connection with a Fatal Stabbing
Thiago Oliveira, 33, faces multiple charges after being arrested after stabbing someone Sunday morning at 94 Adams Street around 11:15 a.m. Police arrived to find non-life threatening injuries sustained to one victim at this location and arrested Thiago Oliveira — charged with assault with intent to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and criminal threatening. Thiago will appear for arraignment Monday in Waltham District Court.
Jonathan Galindo, also known as Cursed Goofy, is associated with the Blue Whale Challenge online game which encourages children and teenagers to engage in tasks that could lead to self-harm or even suicide. Galindo bears similarity to another terrifying figure known as Momo which has caused fear among young people.
This masked figure has been spreading a challenge on various platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Discord. Anyone receiving messages from this account should ignore them immediately and report them directly to security teams on each platform.
An 11-Year-Old Boy Takes His Own Life in Italy
An 11-year-old boy died while exploring a hot, steamy volcanic crater near Naples when he accidentally entered an off-limits area, prompting his parents to attempt rescue attempts but then collapsed the crater itself.
The internet can be an incredibly powerful resource that connects people from around the globe, but misused irresponsibly by children or adults alike. Recently, a disturbing trend encouraging children to carry out acts which lead to self-harm or suicide has emerged online.
TikTok users appear to have revived the Blue Whale Challenge from 2016, using fake accounts created for it on TikTok.
One such account, known as Jonathan Galindo, reportedly targeted teens online and requested they complete a series of challenges that escalate in difficulty from watching scary films to self-harm and suicide. Momo-esque online character known for creating fear among children and teens alike also played a part in this tragedy; serving as a reminder that the internet can be dangerous space and that children should exercise caution when engaging with strangers online.
An Internet Phenomenon That Encourages Self-Harm and Suicide
Jonathan Galindo – often depicted wearing a mask that resembles both Goofy and a dog – rose to prominence online in 2020 for encouraging young people to participate in an unsafe online challenge known as the Blue Whale Challenge that first swept Russia in 2016 and encourages participants to self-harm or even commit suicide. It was through these initiatives that Galindo first gained notoriety among many young people in Russia.
Jonathan Galindo accounts are targeting children and teenagers online via TikTok and Instagram social media, engaging them in distressful tasks with the ultimate aim of getting them to commit suicide. These accounts bear striking resemblances to Momo, another online entity who terrorized children in 2016, using similar techniques to manipulate victims.
Samuel Canini, the filmmaker responsible for designing the mask that often represents this character, took to Twitter in July to disprove reports that he had any involvement with the deadly challenge. He stated that it had been created solely for personal amusement nearly ten years prior and should not be used by thrill-seekers to scare young people online.
A New Game That Encourages Children to Take Their Own Lives
The 11-year-old Italian boy who died may have been playing an alarming new game encouraging self-harm and suicide, linked to Jonathan Galindo who uses scare tactics online to reach vulnerable individuals he targets; known for wearing an unsettling mask resembling both dog and wolf features, Jonathan sends threats, graphic content, and messages that spread fear and panic in vulnerable audiences online.
Jonathan Galindo is often associated with social media accounts that use his image to reach out to children on social media and encourage them to complete horror-related tasks, from watching a scary movie all the way up to more dangerous activities such as self-harm or standing near buildings on edge.
These challenges resemble the Blue Whale Challenge that claimed numerous lives across Russia in 2016. This dangerous game requires participants to complete 50 steps over 50 days and complete one last task: suicide.