Woman Nabbed After Making Threat to School On TikTok: Des Plaines PD

DES PLAINES, IL — Following a nearly four-month investigation, a Des Plaines woman has been charged with felony disorderly conduct after police said she made threats to "shoot up" a school she once attended through TikTok. Esmeralda E. Vargas, 18, of the 1400 block of E. Willow Road, was arrested Monday after turning herself in.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office approved the felony charge.

According to police, school officials received an anonymous tip on Sept. 9, 2024, via the SS-ARS Crisis Center, an organization that receives tips about possible school shootings. The anonymous tip identified a TikTok post stating that the Uvalde school shooter was the poster's "idol" and the poster threatened to "shoot up" North Elementary School in Des Plaines.

Community Consolidated School District 62, in collaboration with the Des Plaines Police Department, immediately engaged in crisis response protocol. Des Plaines investigators contacted TikTok to obtain subscriber information.

Soon thereafter, investigators determined the IP address' location to be in the 1400 block of E. Willow Avenue. With the cooperation of Vargas's parents, police searched the residence for firearms, but none were found. At the request of school district officials, Vargas was trespassed from any District 62 property.

Police obtained a search warrant for details of the original post and submitted the search warrant to TikTok. On Dec. 6, 2024, police received the results of the search warrant, which provided detailed information of a conversation Vargas reportedly had with an unknown TikTok user, threatening to "shoot-up" North Elementary School, the school she once attended.

Vargas was released following her arrest.