Threats of School Shootings on Dec. 17th Circulate on TikTok

A threat to schools via TikTok has sparked confusion and worry among families and school authorities across Southern California and the country.

The threat, whose account origins are unknown, has material that specifically mentions Friday, Dec. 17, and predicts school shootings and other atrocities on that day. These widespread warnings make no mention of specific schools or locations; despite this, schools and local police agencies are publishing comments and boosting the number of officers on campus to reassure the public, while some parents choose to keep their children in the house.

Several parents voiced their frustration with how Long Beach is handling the threats, which, while not substantiated, have been reduced to jokes.

“I don’t feel secure sending [my kids] to school,” says a mother of two high schoolers. “I’m aware we shouldn’t live in fear, but I don’t want my sons to feel unsafe while trying to focus in class,” the mother said. 

Several students, on the other hand, dismiss the threats as unimportant because “I see this stuff all the time. I’m not just gonna skip school cause someone posted a stupid video on Tiktok,” a junior at Milikan High said. “I understand why people are staying home but Tiktok has stuff on here all the time; why are we just starting to care now?”

“At this time, there are no known credible threats to Long Beach. As a precaution, we are conducting high visibility patrols near schools citywide and will continue to work with the Long Beach Unified School District to ensure the safety of our community,” said the Long Beach Police Department.

By Sofia Youngs