Schuylkill County school districts are reacting Thursday to a viral TikTok threat that indicates a school shooting or bombing will happen somewhere in the US on Friday.
“The North Schuylkill School District has become aware of a troubling post that has been shared widely this week on the social media platform TikTok. The post refers to a threat to school safety “for every school in the USA, even elementary,” on Friday, December 17, 2021,” North Schuylkill Superintendent Robert Ackell writes on the school’s Facebook page.
Ackell writes that he’s aware that other schools in the area are aware of the posts on TikTok and that it’s been circulated among students in those buildings.
He assured parents in his post that the TikTok school shooting threat did not originate at North Schuylkill.
“While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously,” Ackell adds. The Superintendent says he’s contacted Butler Twp. Police Dept. and says there may be an increased police presence on campus Friday.
And it appears every school Superintendent in Schuylkill County received the same wording to send to parents.
Heath Renninger sent a letter to Pine Grove Area parents with the exact same language as Ackell’s. He said additional police presence will be on hand at schools there on Friday, too.
We found a similar message from Mahanoy Area School District.
Viral School Shooting Threat on TikTok for December 17
No classes in Schuylkill County, that we’re aware of, have been canceled as a result of the threats posted on TikTok.
However, that’s not the cases at some schools nationwide. According to a Bloomberg report, some schools across the country have shut schools down on Friday from the threat.
TikTok says it’s not aware of such threats on its site. In a tweet Thursday afternoon, the company writes, “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.”
Schuylkill County School Threats
In recent weeks, Schuylkill County schools have been dealing with threats of violence.
The latest happened earlier this week at Mahanoy Area and the school decided to conduct classes virtually to investigate.
A little over a week ago, Blue Mountain addressed an online threat from a student by suspending them from school. County investigators reportedly seized guns from the student’s home, too.
Threats written on a bathroom stall at Pottsville Area High School last month prompted a temporary midday lockdown there.
READ MORE:
- “Potential Threat” Forces Mahanoy Area Schools to Go Virtual
- Guns Seized from Home of Blue Mountain High Student Following Online Threat
- Threat on Bathroom Stall Puts Pottsville High on Lockdown
Subscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...