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An 11-year-old Florida boy is facing serious charges after he was caught making a false, TikTok-inspired bomb threat for popularity, according to court documents obtained by FOX 35 on Tuesday (November 14).
Last Wednesday (November 8), the unidentified boy stood up in his class at Umatilla Middle School and said, "THERE IS A BOMB ON CAMPUS," an arrest affidavit from the Lake County Sheriff's Office states. Deputies evacuated the sixth-grade building, the gym, and the cafeteria and conducted a search before clearing everyone to return.
The young student later told officials he uttered the fake threat because of a TikTok, the report claims. The boy then explained that TikTok "has you yell out statements to get points," adding that "it was only a joke and there is no bomb," according to court papers.
Reporters said the 11-year-old was processed at the Lake County Jail before he was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice. He's facing a felony charge of making a false report concerning planting a bomb, an explosive, or a weapon of mass destruction, as well as a misdemeanor charge of disruption of a school function.
Ever since TikTok became an international sensation, many disturbing and even deadly challenges have emerged, from people breaking bones in their faces to children losing their lives to gain online fame or mimic what they see online.