A 19-year-old Wisconsin man set fire to Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman’s office in Fond du Lac over the TikTok ban.
The fire was started around 1 a.m. on Sunday, just hours after TikTok went offline.
According to a report from WISN Milwaukee, “Police officers arrived at the scene and used extinguishers to hold the fire in check until firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire.”
The building was empty at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested nearby.
While in custody, the teenager “admitted to starting the fire in response to recent talks of a TikTok ban.”
“Acts of violence, in any form, are not tolerated, and we remain committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community. I am thankful for the swift response of our Officers in helping knock down the fire and also locating the suspect of this arson,” Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said in a statement about the incident.
Rep. Grothman voted in favor of the legislation to force the app to divest or be banned in the United States.
The Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office has referred an arson charge. The suspect is currently being held at the county Jail.
President Donald Trump has opposed the ban and vowed to work with the app to keep it running in the US after he takes office. He also urged tech companies to work with TikTok so that it could be back online before his inauguration.
A 19-year-old Wisconsin man set fire to Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman’s office in Fond du Lac over the TikTok ban.
The fire was started around 1 a.m. on Sunday, just hours after TikTok went offline.
According to a report from WISN Milwaukee, “Police officers arrived at the scene and used extinguishers to hold the fire in check until firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire.”
The building was empty at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The suspect, who has not been publicly identified, was arrested nearby.
While in custody, the teenager “admitted to starting the fire in response to recent talks of a TikTok ban.”
“Acts of violence, in any form, are not tolerated, and we remain committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community. I am thankful for the swift response of our Officers in helping knock down the fire and also locating the suspect of this arson,” Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said in a statement about the incident.
Rep. Grothman voted in favor of the legislation to force the app to divest or be banned in the United States.
The Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office has referred an arson charge. The suspect is currently being held at the county Jail.
President Donald Trump has opposed the ban and vowed to work with the app to keep it running in the US after he takes office. He also urged tech companies to work with TikTok so that it could be back online before his inauguration.
