Schools Shut Down Over Shooting Threat on TikTok A video that reportedly threatened the safety of students made its rounds on the app.
By Emily Rella Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
TikTok trends and challenges are often comical and entertaining, allowing users of all ages to feel like they're a part of something and to find a way to have a little fun.
But for impressionable young Gen Z TikTokers, this can go very south very quickly.
In videos that have since been reportedly removed, a TikTok user made bomb and gun violence threats to schools in what authorities are calling a TikTok "challenge," forcing school districts across the country to shut down for the day out of precaution.
The Verge reported that districts in California, Texas, Minnesota and Missouri shuttered doors December 17, while the New York Post reported that schools in Florida, Arizona, Maryland, New York and Wisconsin had increased police presence for the day and put out safety notices.
The threat was reportedly made in Arizona and was deemed "not credible."
"The post alleges that there are planned school shootings that will take place on Friday, December 17," the Baltimore police department Tweeted. "Law enforcement agencies have investigated this threat and determined that it originated in Arizona and is not credible. We want to continue to encourage members of Team BCPS to report suspicious or threatening activities or postings."
Shannon Watts also posted on behalf of anti-gun violence organization EveryTown in light of the incident.
NEW: Amid widespread threats of school violence on Tik Tok today, our organization released a comprehensive roadmap on secure gun storage to help prevent gunfire on school grounds. These solutions can be adopted quickly in response to a growing threat. https://t.co/FrtcyTu0Vh
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) December 17, 2021
"Our organization released a comprehensive roadmap on secure gun storage to help prevent gunfire on school grounds. These solutions can be adopted quickly in response to a growing threat," Watts wrote.
According to data from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security's K-12 School Shooting Database, there have been 222 school shootings in 2021, a record-breaking number.
