Teen sets fire to workshop of Congress member over TikTok ban
A 19-year-old from Wisconsin was arrested on Sunday morning for setting fire to an office used by a member of Congress in Fond Du Lac. The young man, whose name is unknown, reportedly told the police that he was upset about the TikTok ban, which prevented the app from being used starting Saturday night but was back in operation on Sunday after President-elect Donald Trump promised not to enforce the ban.
Police arrived at the burning structure on 525 N. Peters Avenue in Fond Du Lac around 1 a.m. on Sunday. The office is rented by Republican representative Glenn Grothman, who represents Wisconsin’s 6th District and voted in favor of the TikTok ban, which had bipartisan support.
The building was unoccupied when the fire started, and no injuries or casualties were reported. First responders were able to control the fire with extinguishers until the firefighters arrived. Based on a photo shared by Grothman’s team that went viral on social media, it appears that the fire scorched the exterior of the door and damaged an air conditioning unit.
The Suspect
The 19-year-old suspect from Menasha, who admitted to starting the fire in response to the TikTok ban, has been arrested and charged with arson at the Fond du Lac County jail. Police Chief Aaron Goldstein of Fond du Lac praised the quick response of law enforcement and firefighters in extinguishing the fire and apprehending the suspect.
Grothman did not comment on the incident on his social media but told the local newspaper, “I don’t even know what happened. I just know someone tried to start a fire because of TikTok.” Unlike other members of Congress, Grothman does not appear to have ever had a TikTok account.
On Saturday night, TikTok users noticed they couldn’t use the app, but it was back up and running on Sunday afternoon after Trump’s announcement that he would sign an executive order on the matter after taking office.
