Candlelight vigil held for Owasso teen: 'The world is a little darker because Nex is gone'
Hundreds of people turned out at two Oklahoma vigils to pay tribute to an Owasso teenager whose death has sparked widespread interest, heartbreak and outrage across the state and across the country.
A candlelight vigil for Nex Benedict in Owasso on Sunday, where a few close friends took the stage to share their memories of the friend they remembered as fun and feisty.
Interest in the high school sophomore's death has swelled over the past week, particularly because of Nex's gender-expansive identity and claims of bullying that preceded an altercation at school.
Nex used the pronouns they and them and he and him, family and friends have said.
A police investigation is underway after Nex died earlier this month after sustaining injuries in an altercation at Owasso High School. Although the exact details of the fight are unclear, the teen's family and friends have said Nex was routinely bullied because of their gender identity. Medical examiners are still completing their investigation into what killed Nex, but police have said that an autopsy determined Nex did not die as a result of trauma. The family held a funeral service for the teen on Feb. 15.
'We lost a member of our community': Hundreds mourn Nex Benedict's death at Oklahoma vigils
Robin Ingersoll, who is also a 16-year-old sophomore at Owasso High School, described Nex as one of his first friends when he started attending public school in eighth grade. The pair briefly dated. He remembered how Nex made chicken wings for him one night, with lots of different sauces and spices. Then the next morning, he woke up to Nex making him pancakes.
“Which I think is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me,” Robin said.
When he thinks about Nex’s death, he feels disappointed, he said.
“Disappointed that he never got the chance to grow up and mature and learn and grow, to find his community. That was taken from him,” he said.
More: What we know and what we don't about death of Oklahoma teen Nex Benedict
Tyler Wrynn, a former Owasso eighth-grade teacher, remembered Nex as fiery. Nex often joked, “I’m going to fight you,” over a variety of things.
“The world is a little darker because Nex is gone,” said Wrynn, who left the school after his social media posts were criticized by Libs of TikTok, a social media platform that posts anti-LGBTQ messages.
Owasso police blocked off some streets surrounding the downtown park where the vigil was held, and at least four officers were stationed atop the nearby police station, using binoculars to look onto the crowd gathered below.
Anna Richardson, an Owasso parent who organized the vigil, said she wanted the night to steer clear of politics and honor Nex. But she called on school leaders to listen to children as they craft anti-bullying policies.
“Let’s please remember that these children are all of our children,” Richardson said.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Nex Benedict remembered as 'fun, feisty' in Owasso candlelight vigil
