On Thursday, December 16, around 7:30 p.m., VBCPS released an email to all parents regarding the supposed school shooting/bomb threats on all schools across the USA.

They noted that it was important that students do not continue to share the posts from TikTok, a popular social media app used throughout the world.

While the start of the threats is currently unknown, it quickly became known as a “TikTok challenge” due to its rising popularity on the app.

“I trust the school when they said it wasn’t a sustainable threat,” Avagrace James, a senior here at Kempsville High School, said. “Because there was not one directing at Kempsville.”

While student attendance wasn’t exactly desirable for teachers, it’s hard to say whether it was due to the spike in COVID-19 cases or the threats themself.

“Social media takes things way out of place than [where they should be], and I think that’s why there was… a bigger threat than what they actually were,” Alayna Mozingo, 12th grader, stated.

So far, there isn’t much buzz about the threats. 

“Kids need to stop spreading rumors like these around so much because then they’ll lose validity,” Joseph Zengewald, a Kempsville high school parent remarked. “They’ll just do anything for attention these days.”

James and Mozingo refused to let these threats bother them and continued with showing the beauty of kindness through Secret Santa in their friend group.

VBCPS promises to stay alert throughout the day today.

Remember, if you see something, say something, and report it to administrators or your local police department.