TikTok School Shooting Trend Wreaking Havoc on Schools Across the Country

Yesterday we posted an article about the most disgusting new trend: TikTok school threats. This abhorrently popular trend invovles students making shooting and bomb threats at their schools as an avenue through which to get classes canceled. TikTok school threats has taken hold in counties all across the country. As of yesterday, Tazwell County and Monroe County in Virginia are two areas that are currently catching this toxic trend at its height.

Investegators in Tazwell County spoke about the threats saying:

Based on the findings of investigators, we have determined that the rumors were a result of TikTok videos that were shared throughout some of our student population, with no threats being directed towards our schools in Tazewell County...We have increased school security measures over the next two days out of an abundance of caution. Please take this time to talk with your student, and educate them about appropriate use of social media, and encourage them to share any threats or anything that could be associated with a threat with a school official or a parent.

The TikTok school threats raise significant concern about teen social media usage, gun safety, and protection in schools. While the messages that are found in schools can, in this current trend-climate, likely be associated with the video trend, no one wants to (nor should they) take that risk. Schools are taking action. According to an article on USA Today, "Schools in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, New York and Pennsylvania will increase their police presence Friday due to the threats while schools in California, Minnesota, Missouri and Texas closed for the day."

While the influence of this TikTok school threats trend is blatantly aparent, the media giant is washing their hands of the situation. They released a statement in which they asserted they have not found anything relating to this trend on their platform. The statement read, "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."

This TikTok shooting trend speaks to the problematic rise in school shootings in the United States over the last twenty years. This trend needs to come to an end, and more meaningful, longterm solutions to this terrifying problem need to be put in place.