Wake County sheriff responds to viral TikTok challenge promoting school violence nationwide

Several local school districts are warning of a new, viral TikTok challenge promoting school violence on Friday.

The Nash County Sheriff’s Office said the TikTok post alleging planned school shootings originated in Arizona and is not credible.

Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said his department has a plan in place if it becomes necessary, releasing the following statement on Friday:

“The Wake County Sheriff’s Office remains on alert and is ready to respond to any incident that threatens the safety of students and school staff. Along with school resource officers that are assigned at all middle schools in the Wake County Public Schools System and one high school, East Wake High School, the sheriff’s office has a plan in place to add additional resources if necessary. Whether the threats are credible or not, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office remains vigilant and on the ready to respond to any incident.”

Some other North Carolina schools are beefing up security in response, although there are currently no known credible threats at any local school districts.

Cumberland Schools sound alarm for TikTok challenge calling for students to slap teachers

There isn’t one specific video tied to the challenge; instead, it’s a slew of posts promoting violence or threats of violence at schools across the nation.

Myca Jeter, a Durham parent, said that she is reinforcing her expectations to her daughter.

"I think it is important for us to acknowledge they are navigating things that we never had to," said Jeter. "My daughter knows she is not to fight, understanding she might have to defend herself."

"I know there are a lot of things that happen on TikTok. This was new to me,” added Jeter.

WRAL News spoke with districts across the Triangle on Thursday after news of the challenge surfaced.

Out of an abundance of caution, Cumberland County Schools is increasing security at schools, posting on social media, "Out of an abundance of caution, we will increase security measures at all schools tomorrow and will continue to be vigilant about campus security."

The Zebulon Police Department said, although there are no credible threats in the district, officers would be at all schools on Friday.

Johnston County Schools made families aware, reminding parents that every school has a resource officer on campus.

Joe Preston, a parent in Johnston County, is running for school board. He said he would like to see the cell phone policy change in the district.

“These kids are allowed to have their cell phones all day long. They got ear buds on all day long," said Preston. "TikTok is on their phone. Why don’t we take that away?“

The viral challenge doesn’t target any particular school.

Parents are encouraged to ask their students to tell an adult if they see anything that could be a possible safety concern. They should also talk to students about the severity of such challenges.

"We encourage you to talk to your children about the type of information they are posting and sharing on their social media accounts," Zebulon police posted. "These types of incident create anxiety for the student and parents. We request that you have these crucial conversations and encourage them to refrain from posting or sharing posts that incite violence or create fear in others."