New social media challenge sparks fear of school shootings across the nation
WOODSTOCK – TikTok, a short-form video-focused social media platform, became a hot topic of discussion beginning in September for its “devious lick” challenge, which saw a high influx of viral videos featuring students stealing everything from toilet paper rolls to soap dispensers from their respective schools.
However, there is a new challenge on the rise across multiple social media platforms that is causing a great amount of concern for parents and school administrators across the nation.
Various school districts, including McHenry County-based Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 (D200), have been hit with a disturbing trend that calls on school-aged children to post threats of gun violence towards their school.
On Dec. 9, the Woodstock Police Department stated that they were continuing to work with D200 administration in response to several threats made towards D200 schools.
While the Woodstock Police Department has deemed threats made to Creekside Middle School and Northwood Middle School as not credible, an arrest has been made of a Woodstock North High School student that was the source of a gun violence threat sent via Snapchat, a multimedia instant messaging app.
Additionally, on Dec. 13, the Woodstock Police Department announced another arrest made of a Woodstock High School student for a school threat that was written on a bathroom stall.
“The threat was discovered on Monday, Dec. 6, and it implied the use of a firearm. The arrest follows an intensive week-long investigation by Woodstock School District 200 Administration, Woodstock High School Administration and the Woodstock Police Department’s Investigations Division,” said the police. “Upon conferring with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, a felony charge of Disorderly Conduct was approved against the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.”
Other nearby law enforcement agencies, like the Elgin Police Department, have also been dealing with calls from concerned parents that have reported a TikTok post that referenced the “Larsen Lancers” which is the identifier of Larsen Middle School, a school in Kane County-based Elgin Area School District U46.
“We are aware of threats towards schools that are circulating from a TikTok post and have received several phone calls reporting screenshots of this post. We have been in communication with School District U-46 and will continue to share information with them,” said the Elgin Police Department. “We encourage students to talk to their School Resource Officers, school administrators, or any other trusted adult, and immediately report any suspicious activity to them.”
Back in early October, Huntley High School Principal Marcus Belin made a YouTube video in response to the damaging effects that some social media challenges can have.
“They have negative consequences and they are impacting our school day, our instructional day and while these challenges may seem trendy at the moment, young people, this challenge has permanent effects on your future. When you post those videos on social media, just know that those videos are there forever and cannot be erased,” Belin said. “So, when employers and colleges and things that you’re doing post-high school are looking at you and they come across this video, that can have a negative impact on you.”
Belin encouraged students to post some positive challenges on their social media accounts that included tasks like thanking a staff member and attending school events often.
“What it’s going to do is inspire us to become better and be better and living the Raider Way,” he said. “We have principles that we live by of being respectful, being responsible and being involved and as young people growing and learning and living life, but also understand we want to have fun in life. We can’t always go with the masses and follow the trends that happen to be out there just to fit in.”
Towards the end of his video message, Belin warned students that participating in any negative social media trends can and will result in disciplinary action that would not be limited to police intervention if necessary.
