Crime & Safety
Several Wisconsin Schools Close Friday Over Social Media Threat
Several Wisconsin schools closed Friday due to unspecified threats tied to a social media rumor.
MILWAUKEE, WI — Several Wisconsin schools are closed on Friday due to fears over a TikTok trend apparently encouraging gun violence at schools Friday.
While no schools in the Milwaukee area have closed yet, many area school districts warned parents about unspecified threats made on social media.
See Also: Wisconsin Schools On Alert To 'Troubling' TikTok Challenge
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The Hamilton School District in the Sussex area announced school wouldn't be in session Friday, as law enforcement agencies couldn't guarantee that threats made to the school online were "not credible," district superintendent Paul Mielke said in a statement.
The Platteville School District said it would close its schools Friday over the "threat of violence," but didn't give out any other details, WISC-TV reported.
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The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District and McDonell Area Catholic Schools both closed over threats. School facilities were closed and classes were canceled Saturday to ensure students' and staff safety after a "cyber threat," the school district told WQOW.
Schools across Wisconsin said they were aware of a challenge on the social media platform TikTok that culminated into threatening posts.
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