The death of Oklahoma teenager Nex Benedict, a day after a fight in a school bathroom, has garnered national attention as vigils are held across the country.
A police investigation continues into the death of a 16-year-old boy who identified as non-binary and used they/them pronouns.
The cause of death has not yet been officially determined, and it remains unclear what happened in the bathroom.
Here's what we know at this point:
What happened at school?
Nex Benedict was involved in what authorities called a “physical altercation” in a bathroom at Owasso High School on February 7th.
According to police and the school, the incident was broken up by other students who were present and with the help of school staff. The school said the students were in the bathroom for less than two minutes.
Security camera footage showed Benedict being able to walk around the building after the fight. Officials said the school determined an ambulance was not necessary, but a nurse recommended Benedict undergo further medical evaluation “out of an abundance of caution.”
Benedict's mother, Sue, called police to the hospital the same day, complaining that the school had not informed the police about the incident.
Body camera footage released by police of the hospital interaction shows Nex-Benedict awake and alert, leaning back in bed with his arms crossed and explaining what happened.
The student said three female students made fun of them and their group “because of the way we dressed.”
The taunts are said to have continued in the bathroom, with the attackers asking, “Why are you laughing so much?” Benedict responded by dousing the girls with water, according to a report provided to police.
Then, “all three of them came at me,” the teenager recalled. A fight ensued and Mr Benedict said he was punched to the ground before “losing consciousness”.
The school district called the student's death “devastating” and said it is committed to “a safe and inclusive environment for all students.”
He said he was cooperating with the investigation amid “speculation and misinformation surrounding the incident.”
This point remains unclear. Police said medical personnel were dispatched to Benedict's home on February 8, the day after the fight, for a “medical emergency.”
In the emergency call, audio of which was also released by police, Sue Benedict said the child's breathing was shallow and his eyes were rolling back.
“I hope this isn't something that came out of her head,” she said. “They were supposed to give her a good examination.” She later said in an online post that she was not yet accustomed to using they/them pronouns, which Benedict prefers.
After performing CPR, paramedics took Benedict to a hospital, where the teen died.
In a statement released to NBC News, an attorney representing the Benedict family called attention to what the Benedict family described as “the devastating effects of bullying and school violence.”
They called the death a “preventable tragedy” and said, “The Benedict family is calling on all school, local, state and national officials to come together and find out why this happened.” We call on those responsible to be held accountable and to ensure that this never happens again.” ”
The latest police statement said preliminary autopsy information indicates the boy “did not die as a result of trauma.”
Owasso police said they would not comment further pending toxicology and other test results. A formal autopsy report is promised at a later date.
The school has not confirmed whether Benedict was bullied because of her gender identity, but said in a statement to ABC News that “bullying in any form is unacceptable.”
It added: “We take reports of bullying very seriously and have policies and procedures in place to deal with such behavior.”
What was your reaction?
Benedict was mourned across the country. Two vigils were held in Oklahoma on Friday night, and more than a dozen vigils are planned in cities across the country on Monday.
An online fundraiser set up to cover funeral costs has raised more than $150,000 (£118,000). A message of gratitude from Sue Benedict said she wasn't expecting “the love from everyone.”
White House press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre called Benedict's death a “tragedy,” adding: “All children should feel safe and protected when they go to school.” .
Advocacy group Freedom Oklahoma said that while the facts of the case have not yet been determined, members of the LGBT community are facing increased hostility “due to state law, the rhetoric surrounding it, and the words and actions of state elected officials.”
Activists have criticized an Oklahoma law that prohibits students from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match their birth gender.
Oklahoma Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters told the New York Times that Benedict's death was a tragedy, but added, “There is not more than one gender. There are two genders. He reiterated his views on gender identity.
Calls from the state to Rainbow Youth Project USA, a crisis hotline for LGBT youth, have jumped more than 500%, its director told The Associated Press.