December 16, 2021 – Both the Mariposa and Madera County Sheriff’s Offices have put out information of a dangerous new challenge being sent around on TikTok about school violence threats.
Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office:
Law Enforcement agencies across the nation, including us, have been flooded with calls regarding a dangerous new challenge on the social media platform TikTok. This new challenge encourages school age kids to create bomb and active shooter threats towards their schools on December 17th.
TikTok challenges have been making their way around the nation, with the "Devious Lick" where students were encouraged to steal items from school like paper towel dispensers, while others encouraged students to slap or hit their teachers all while recording and posting to TikTok.
Our staff will continue to monitor these threats and act accordingly.
"The safety of our students and school staff have always been a priority for my office. We are working very closely with the school administration to ensure the safety of our schools and our community." Sheriff Jeremy Briese.
If you have any information on a possible threat to our schools please call our office at (209) 966-3615 or report to us on social media or through our Sheriff App anonymously.
Madera County Sheriff’s Office:
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office and the Madera County Superintendent of Schools have been made aware of a nation-wide social media challenge for students to call in threats regarding a shooting, bombing, or other acts of violence to schools on Friday, December 17. The viral post did not originate in Madera County but has been seen across social media platforms including Tik Tok, Instagram, and Facebook.
MCSO is working closely with our local school district officials to monitor this situation. We would like to reassure parents that at this time, there is no evidence of any threats related to this social media challenge in our area. Out of an abundance of caution, we will be increasing our staffing to enhance our presence throughout area schools.
As a reminder, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office takes every threat seriously. Any students caught making violent threats will be arrested and can be prosecuted. Anyone with information is asked to contact law enforcement and not repost or share the threats on social media. The Madera County Sheriff’s Communication Center can be reached 24/7 at (559) 675-7770.
Source: Mariposa & Madera County Sheriff’s Offices
