At least four Kentucky teenagers are facing terrorism and harassment charges after allegedly threatening their teachers with hidden bombs as part of a demented trend that police said was made popular on TikTok.
The four bomb threats were made at two Oldham County high schools since the new school year began on Aug. 9, the Oldham County Police Department said in a statement.
Three incidents were confirmed to have stemmed from a social media “challenge,” and the fourth is suspected of being related to the challenge’s hoax.
“The challenge encouraged students to record a video of themselves telling a teacher there was a bomb or gun in their backpack,” police said.
A rep from TikTok said there was no proof the social media platform hosted the videos.
Three students slapped with “terroristic threatening” charges were 15-year-olds at Oldham County High School, located 20 miles northeast of Louisville.
A fourth student, also 15, at the nearby South Oldham High School, may also have been inspired by the trend, according to police. That student was charged with “harassing communications.”
All four students have been indefinitely suspended from classes and ordered to complete a mental health screening before returning to school, according to a district message shared with parents.
All three students slapped with terroristic threatening charges were 15-year-old students at Oldham County High School. WDRB.com“As previously communicated in a letter to families regarding terroristic threatening, students who participate in this type of behavior face serious consequences. In addition to school-level discipline, students are prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law for making a threat to a public school,” said the memo, obtained by WDRB.com.
The district sent a message to parents urging them to warn their children about the consequences of making such dangerous allegations.
Officials also asked that the parents monitor their children’s social media accounts.
Police said at least three incidents were directly related to a social media “challenge.” WDRB.com“Whether written or spoken, all threats are taken seriously and students need to know the repercussions of these actions, both short and long term. Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress or anxiety for our students, families and staff.”
The TikTok videos were allegedly removed at the district’s request.
