STORM WATCH

Pockets of heavy rain continue with temps set to tumble overnight

Security stepped up at city and tri-state schools due to TikTok post calling for violence

The TikTok challenge has been going around for a while and has been widely shared.

News 12 Staff

Dec 17, 2021, 12:29 PM

Updated 1,090 days ago

Share:

School districts across the city and tri-state area stepped up security Friday due to a new social media challenge that called on students to threaten acts of violence.
The TikTok challenge has been going around for a while and has been widely shared. The source and credibility of the threats remain unknown, but some parents took extra precautions by pulling their kids out of school.
Labeled under the hashtag #schoolthreat on the social media platform, there are videos circulating nationwide about a shooting and bomb threat day for schools that was scheduled to take place Friday.
Although these threats have not been confirmed and their origins remain unclear, they were enough to send students and parents alike into a frenzy, with some students posting on social media urging people not to go to school.
TikTok's official account tweeted, "We have not found evidence of such threats originating or spreading via TikTok."
The schools' chancellor sent an email out to all public school parents Friday morning, saying every threat to a school community is taken extremely seriously and that parents are encouraged to have a conversation with their kids about responsible social media use.
The New York City Department of Education said it is working with the NYPD as it looks into the threats and will deploy additional support if needed.