MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) says there is no evidence a national social media trend promoting violence on Friday, Dec. 17 will result in any credible threats.
A handful of school districts in the state, including Farmington Area Public Schools and Brainerd Public Schools, announced they would move to distance learning or cancel classes on Friday, though none cited any specific credible threats.
On Friday, DPS reported 29 threats to schools in Minnesota, but none were considered credible.
“Even though we have not seen any credible threat, it’s important for any report to be investigated to keep children and school’s safe,” said DPS Assistant Commissioner Booker Hodges in a statement. “It’s important for people to report any perceived threat to their local law enforcement agency.”
A day earlier, school officials throughout the Twin Cities released statements saying the threats are not considered credible, and to remind children of proper behavior on social media.
"We want to ask our families and community to please talk with your children about responsible use of social media," said Minneapolis Public Schools in a statement. "Perpetuating false information and promoting violence is very serious and should not be taken lightly. Social media is a powerful tool and we hope that students will promote positive initiatives that reflect the values of our schools and community."
This sentiment was echoed across other metro area schools as well.
Saint Paul Public Schools released a statement saying, "Sharing inappropriate content or threats on social media can have real-life consequences, including suspension and criminal charges. We take situations like this seriously and will follow our standard discipline procedures as outlined in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Please remind your child(ren) to use social media responsibly. Students are often aware of situations before adults, so please remind your child that it is important for them to report concerns to a trusted adult."
The promotion of violence made the rounds on popular social media platforms, such as TikTok, alleging "shootings and bombings will occur on 17 December 2021," according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
While DPS says the origins of the threats remain unknown, there is presently "no evidence to suggest that any mass causality or severe violence incidents will occur on this date, within Minnesota or the US more broadly."