Rumored School Violence TikTok Challenge Monitored In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Posts circulating on the social media app TikTok suggesting that school shootings will take place around the U.S. on Friday as part of a new "challenge" has drawn the attention of Alexandria City Public Schools and police.

ACPS notified families in a letter on Thursday. The school district said the post is part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in Alexandria. The threat is not believed to be credible, but the school district is "monitoring the situation" and is in contact with Alexandria Police.

Read the full letter below:

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) 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.

The post appears to be part of a national TikTok trend and did not originate in our school division. We have heard reports from other school divisions that the same post is circulating in their schools. While we do not believe the threat to be credible, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking it seriously.

Additionally, ACPS has been in contact with the Alexandria Police Department regarding the post and we will continue our close collaboration with them to ensure the safety and security in our schools.

This situation serves as a good example of why it is important to avoid sharing posts online that refer to school safety threats. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for our students, families, and staff. We ask our families to monitor their children’s social media activity and speak with them about proper behavior online.

If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please notify a school staff member or trusted adult right away. The ACPS security team can be reached at 703-824-6690; beyond school hours, please call the police department.

As always, thank you for your partnership as we work to ensure a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for our students.

It was unclear where the rumor started, but 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.

ACPS has dealt with several threat reports this school year. Most recently last week, Alexandria City High School's Minnie Howard campus was evacuated for a bomb threat report. A sweep of the school by Alexandria Police found no credible threat. The high school's King Street campus was put on secure the building status although no threat was found. The investigation resulted from a threat posted to social media mentioned the acronym ACHS.

Patch editor Megan VerHelst contributed to this report.