TikTok School Gun Threat Has IL Schools, Law Enforcement On Alert

ILLINOIS — A nationwide "challenge" on the social media app Tik Tok warning of the potential for school violence on Friday has prompted school districts across Illinois to take precautions.

Multiple law enforcement agencies say they are monitoring reports of the challenge, which has encouraged students to threaten gun violence at their schools on Friday. Numerous police departments in the Chicago area said they will beef up police presence at local schools.

The threat is a generic one to schools across the country, officials in several districts said as they tried to reassure families that students and staff will be safe.

In Glenview, police issued an alert about the challenge. "There is no credible information that this threat is in any way related to any school within the State of Illinois," police said, but added, "We encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity, regardless of where it occurs."

Joliet Township High School District 204 said precautions are being taken at local high schools, adding, "Out of an abundance of caution, there will be an additional police presence tomorrow at both campuses, and we will conduct additional searches."

District 204 also had advice for parents.

"This is a good reminder to talk about the importance of reporting threats and the consequences related to making threats," the district said in an email to parents. "We ask parents to take a moment to discuss the topic of school threats with their student and pledge as a family to both report threats to the proper authorities and refrain from sharing rumored threats and unverified information with others.

"Every member of a school community is responsible for its safety. As always, we encourage everyone to 'Say Something' if they 'See Something.'"

The Tik Tok challenge comes on the heels of the ninth anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the Michigan school shooting on Nov. 30 that killed four students and injured several others.

It also comes after weeks of threats and rumored threats at Illinois schools, along with the arrest of multiple students.

On Thursday, Evanston Township High School was locked down after two guns were found on the campus. Vernon Hills High School was also on a soft lockdown Thursday after a TikTok threat was made against the campus on Wednesday night. Parents were told they could pick their students up early for an excused absence, but school officials and police said the threat was found not to be credible.

Students Threatening Schools Could Face Expulsion, Arrest: Police

Last month, numerous bomb threats were sent to schools in Oak Lawn, resulting in several arrests.

In Naperville, two teen boys, ages 15 and 16, now face felony disorderly conduct charges in connection with a threat made against Naperville Central High School in October. Naperville North High School was also closed for a day in September after a bomb threat was made, and the campus was evacuated in October following another threat.

• 12-Year-Old Girl Posts School Shooting Threat On Snapchat: Police
• Students 'Never In Harm's Way,' D202 Tell Families About Threats

It's unclear where the Dec. 17 TikTok rumor originated, 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.

Read more: TikTok December 17 Challenge Has Police, Schools On High Alert

In September, another challenge called "Devious Licks" encouraged raucous acts of vandalism at schools in Illinois and across the country. 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.

RELATED: Devious Licks Challenge Continues To Pose Problems For Schools

Karen Wall, Patch Staff, contributed to this article