No incidents were reported Friday in Eden Prairie schools after a nationwide viral Tik Tok video post earlier this week appeared to vaguely threaten school violence on Dec. 17.
A few schools in Minnesota and elsewhere in the country closed for the day as a result of the potential threat. Eden Prairie schools remained open Friday.
Neither Eden Prairie Police nor the school district found any evidence of a direct threat in Eden Prairie.
“We investigated the video but found no connection to Eden Prairie and no credible threat,” an Eden Prairie Police Department spokesperson told EPLN Friday. “We are not aware of any incidents related to the Tik Tok video at any school in Eden Prairie. We are in constant communication with the school district in case anything changes.”
The spokesperson did not comment when asked about whether there was an increased police presence at any Eden Prairie schools Friday.
Anecdotal reports indicated that attendance at Central Middle School (CMS) was lower than normal Friday, but a district spokesman said that could not be confirmed immediately.
“We do not have accurate attendance information on the same day,” school spokesman Brett Johnson told EPLN in an email when asked about any effects the video may have had on students coming to school. “There have been no incidents today related to the Tik Tok posts.”
A Dec. 15 email sent to CMS parents by Principal Nate Swenson outlining the potential threat, also indicated that someone had left a message related to the post in a school bathroom. Security video footage in the area of the bathroom would be reviewed to help identify whomever left the message, he said.
Johnson said Friday that the district was not able to discuss details about the investigation of that incident.
He also declined to comment on whether there was additional police presence at schools Friday.
According to news reports, the Tik Tok post suggested that violent acts could take place on Dec. 17 across the country. Several school districts in Minnesota, including Lakeville and Little Falls, and many nationwide closed for the day in response to the potential threat.
Comments
Comments aren’t allowed on our site, but we do offer several ways to provide feedback, and have your voice heard. If you believe the story has an error, or would like to get in touch with the author, please contact us. If you would like to respond directly to this article, we welcome and encourage Letters To the Editor. You can find details on how to submit a letter on our contact page.