School Gun Violence Threats On TikTok: D202, Plainfield PD Aware

Plainfield IL

16 December, 2021

5:15 PM

Description

PLAINFIELD, IL — A TikTok challenge encouraging students to threaten gun violence at their schools Friday has Plainfield police and School District 202 administrators on alert. Although District 202 schools have not been specifically targeted, police will be increasing their presence at schools within the village as a precautionary measure, Commander Anthony Novak said. "As we do on a daily basis, we will be monitoring our schools and various social media platforms for any suspicious activity and ask all people in the community that if they SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING," Novak wrote Patch in an email. In a message to District 202 families Thursday afternoon, administrators notified families of the video warning "school shooting and bomb threats for every school in the USA even elementary." The original post, they said, is general and does not target a specific school. "Again, there are no indications of any threats at this time," the email reads. "We are sharing this notice out of an abundance of caution and as a precautionary measure." District officials continued: "The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and support as we continue to work together to serve and support our community." The Plainfield Police Department is among multiple law enforcement agencies across the county monitoring the rumors of violence. Although it's not clear where the threat originated, a Utah school district issued a news release saying the threat started as a way for students to skip school, Patch reported. The challenge is among several others that emerge monthly stemming from the video-sharing platform. In September, the "Devious Licks" challenge had District 202 and other schools nationwide threatening consequences. RELATED: District 202 Threatens Consequences For TikTok Pranks At Schools This perceived threat isn't the first Plainfield officials have dealt with in recent weeks. A week ago, on Dec. 9, Plainfield East High School went on soft lockdown while police investigated a rumored threat to an "East High School." The rumors originated on Snapchat, but police found no evidence to back the threats, Patch reported. The day before, Plainfield North High School families were alerted of a different violent threat. But following an investigation, the school was found safe and operated as normal Dec. 9. RELATED: Students 'Never In Harm's Way,' D202 Tell Families About Threats