A viral video on the social media platform TikTok that made references to possible school violence has been deemed not to be credible, according to Eden Prairie Police and school administrators.
Central Middle School (CMS) Principal Nate Swenson sent an email to parents of students Dec. 15 confirming that the district had contacted police about a post that had districts locally and in other states concerned, as well.
“News reports from other states have also reported about this particular post, which makes a vague reference to school violence on Dec. 17,” Swenson told parents.
The postings had social media platforms buzzing and Swenson acknowledged calls and emails from concerned parents.
“I hate tik tok (sic) I honestly wish it would go away,” commented one parent on Facebook group Eden Prairie Moms.
Swenson said in the email that graffiti related to the video had been discovered in a CMS bathroom and that officials were reviewing security footage in an attempt to identify the culprit. No security cameras are in bathrooms, he emphasized.
Police find threat not credible
“Eden Prairie Police investigated the video, but found no connection to Eden Prairie and no credible threat,” according to an email response Dec. 16 from the Eden Prairie Police Department.
Eden Prairie Schools spokesman Brett Johnson confirmed that several CMS students and parents shared the TikTok video with CMS administration.
“Nothing specific was described and because this was a viral post, we are not even sure it started in Minnesota,” he said. “This is not credible based on the information we have gathered so far … still, we take these matters seriously.”
In his email, Swenson thanked parents for contacting the district and encouraged them to talk with their students about what they can do “to be safe, kind and responsible.”
He asked students and parents to share any concerning information with a principal, dean or school resource officer.
Swenson also reminded parents to set appropriate boundaries for social media usage and to be aware of what their students are doing on social media.
Citing social media’s focus on young people, Swenson added, “Middle school students are very impressionable. Your guidance is essential to ensure your student is safe, kind and responsible online, especially outside of school hours when they are most likely to be on social media.”
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