Photo: Stewart F. House / Getty Images
For: The Opinion
Friday, September 20
Schools across the country cancel classes amid threats of shootings on TikTok
This Friday 17 December, school districts in California, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas have decided to close the doors and cancel classes , as a preventive measure against threats of shootings and attacks that were published on TikTok.
Among the first in taking the measure was Gilroy High School, in Gilroy; Other schools joined in the morning, even contravening initial statements by some that there was no reason to believe the threats and suspend classes.
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, indicated that the FBI had already received several reports of threats against schools in the state, not only to through TikTok, but also through Twitter and Facebook .
Districts in general had considered that the TikTok challenge that motivated the threats was not credible. However, precautions were imposed.
Even TikTok reported a day earlier, the 16, that every threat, even without sustenance, would be handled seriously.
“We are working with law enforcement agencies to investigate all notices of potential violence in schools.”
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
In addition, the authorities had already reported that the police presence would be reinforced in school areas of the country.
The information released indicates that Friday’s challenge 17 December invites threats of violence , but does not mention specific schools, so the risk is higher.
Until Thursday afternoon, the dangerous challenge was the most searched on Google in the United States.
This was followed by calls from school authorities to avoid panic.
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