Local parents, administrators respond to social media bomb threats
Students across Davidson County were met with a shift in school protocols as a nationwide spike in TikTok challenges have led to heightened security. From disallowing backpacks at West Davidson High School to metal detectors at North Davidson High, most administrators say it was a regular day but thought it was important to take every threat “seriously.”
Arrests are also being made; one such, a 14-year-old boy suspected of making a series of threats to commit violence at a middle school in Corona, California, has been arrested, as schools across the country are on high alert over alleged threats of school shootings and bombings on TikTok, mostly citing December 17 of school attacks.
In South Carolina, two Horry County middle school students have been charged after making threats on social media, according to officials. Two Forestbrook Middle School students were charged in connection with social media posts showing a student with a handgun and captions referring to a shooting, according to the Horry County Police Department.
The charges correlate with a TikTok trend toward committing school violence on a specific date.
Some of the schools listed on one threat CES, LMS and LHS which administrators suspect are coincidental but not referencing schools that use similar abbreviations in Davidson County. Local charges have been made against at least three local students related to alleged false threats.
A screenshot of a TIkTok threat that was shared on social media by local parents.
The US Department of Homeland Security released a statement on Friday morning reporting it has no evidence to suggest the claims are credible but encouraged the public to "remain alert." The platform made the announcement on Twitter amid widespread school closures and increased police presence on some campuses.
Educators announced plans to increase security in response to TikTok posts warning of shootings and bomb threats at schools around the country, as officials assured parents the viral posts were not considered credible.
Administrators at West Davidson notified parents through social media and phone calls that backpacks would not be allowed. A school administrator said it was out of an “abundance of precaution.” It further explained that students were in exams so they would only need a few supplies. This has not been confirmed but it’s unlikely students will be able to bring backpacks through the end of the year.
Many parents took their fears and concerns to social media after hearing of this most recent TikTok challenge. Several listed other violent challenges used on the platform that range from destroying school property to slapping school staff on video. After reviewing some of the “challenge” videos, one North Davidson mother said she was surprised parents were not notified of the threat. “We didn’t hear anything from the school either and they just carried on as usual.” She kept her high school student home because he had finished class but noted that other parents were caught off guard to see students going through metal detectors. She called it “absolutely crazy and scary!”
Several Lexington district parents expressed their concerns and thanks to social media early Friday morning.
A statement was released by Lexington City Schools at shortly after 4pm on Dec. 17th.
“We have received a few TikTok messages with threats of guns and/or bombs at schools across the state. As a result, we have placed all of our schools on high alert.
Today, more specific precautions have taken place at the Lexington Middle school and the Lexington Senior High school where we had additional police presence and security measures as students entered the building.
Additionally, the LMS and LHS that were referenced in the original TikTok have been identified as Loris Middle School and Loris High School in Loris, South Carolina and are not related in any way to the Lexington City School district. Thank you.” - Dr. Anitra Wells, Superintendent
