Schools in multiple states have cancelled classes on Friday, December 17th because of reports of threats that apparently originated on the social media app TikTok. It isn’t clear where the threats were located, both on the app itself and the locations of possible incidents, but that didn’t stop multiple districts from pulling the plug.
Districts in California, Texas, Minnesota, and Missouri have said they plan to close down Friday in response, according to the districts and local media reports. Elsewhere, districts have said they plan to have heightened police presence or have emailed parents to say they’ve been investigating the allegations.
via theverge.com
TikTok announced that while they can’t find any specific threats, they’re of course working closely with law enforcement to help with their investigations.
We handle even rumored threats with utmost seriousness, which is why we’re working with law enforcement to look into warnings about potential violence at schools even though we have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok.
— TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) December 16, 2021
One district in Little Falls, Minnesota was contacted by the state’s Department of Public Safety, and specified that the school district was called out. A message on the district’s website noted “a TikTok trend that emerged targeting Friday, December 17, as a day of threats of shootings and bombings in schools.”
Reports state that a new TikTok Challenge, called “National Shoot Up Your School Day,” encouraged students to make threats of violence at their school.
Some schools that have decided to remain open on Friday have said that they’ll be beefing up security and have an increased police presence to close out the week.
Cincinnati Public Schools released a statement about the report, maintaining that they’ll remain open with heightened security, and gave suggestions to both parents and students as to what they can do to help.
Sadly, I can see a distressed student or two making good on this apparent ‘challenge’, and I can only hope that if it does happen, it has zero success.
