Braintree Schools, Police Monitor TikTok 'Gun Violence' Challenge

Braintree MA

17 December, 2021

1:35 PM

Description

BRAINTREE, MA — Police and school officials in Braintree are aware of a TikTok challenge that's sparking concern in districts across the country. The trend reportedly encourages students to threaten gun violence at their schools on Friday, Dec. 17. Superintendent Jim Lee said that the district reached out to Braintree police after becoming aware of the situation. No specific threats were made about Braintree schools, and the schools had an added police presence Friday. "Working with the Braintree Police Department, we have found no evidence of any local threat in Braintree or the surrounding area," Lee said. "Both the Braintree Public Schools and the Braintree Police Department will continue to monitor the situation, and will have added police presence in and around our schools." Some districts say they have been "inundated" with questions about the social media school violence rumors and have responded in letters to parents and public statements in the days leading up to Friday. "We ask parents to support their students who may ask questions about this challenge. Helping our students understand the lack of credibility to these broad social media threats and reassuring them that the adults in their world are watching out for them are important components to keeping our students emotionally safe," Lee said in a letter to parents. While it's unclear where the rumor originated, a news release issued by the Tooele County School District in Utah said the original threat started as a way for students to skip school, but "morphed into something much more disturbing." According to some reports, the December challenge is one of several in a string of monthly challenges stemming from the social media platform. In September, another challenge called "Devious Licks" encouraged raucous acts of vandalism at schools. To participate in the challenge, students and TikTok users shattered mirrors, stole soap dispensers, fire alarms and football field turf, and intentionally clogged toilets, all while filming the antics to post on TikTok. Patch editors Megan VerHelst and Alex Newman contributed to this report.