Congressman’s Office Targeted in Arson Attack by Teenager Reportedly in Response to TikTok Ban
A 19-year-old man from Wisconsin was taken into custody on Sunday morning after he allegedly set fire to an office rented by a member of Congress in Fond Du Lac. According to reports, the individual stated to the police that he was angered by the TikTok ban, which had initially prevented users from accessing the app as of late Saturday. However, the ban was later lifted on Sunday following reassurances from president-elect Donald Trump that it would not be enforced.
According to local news station WMTV, police responded to a structure fire at 525 N. Peters Avenue in the city of Fond Du Lac around 1:00 a.m. local time on Sunday. The office in question is leased by U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman, a Republican representing Wisconsin’s 6th District. Grothman had previously voted in favor of the TikTok “ban or divest” law, which had received significant bipartisan support.
The fire started in an unoccupied building, and thankfully, no injuries have been reported. Local news outlet Channel 3000 reported that first responders were able to contain the fire using fire extinguishers until firefighters arrived. A photo released by Rep. Grothman’s office, which has now gone viral on social media, shows that the fire caused blackening on the outside of the door and damage to an air conditioning unit, as visible in the image above.
According to ABC affiliate WISN, the individual responsible for the arson is a 19-year-old from Menasha. The report states that the suspect has admitted to starting the fire as a response to discussions about a potential TikTok ban. Although the identity of the suspect has not been disclosed, they are currently being held on an arson charge at the Fond du Lac County Jail.
Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein expressed his commitment to safeguarding the community and condemned any acts of violence. He expressed gratitude for the prompt action of the officers in extinguishing the fire and apprehending the arson suspect. Chief Goldstein’s statement was given to local news station WISN.
Rep. Grothman has not made any official statement regarding the incident on his social media platforms, including X, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. However, he did mention in an interview with the local newspaper, the FDL Reporter, that he is uncertain about the details of what occurred.
“I’m not entirely sure what happened, but it seems that someone attempted to start a fire through TikTok,” Grothman remarked. Interestingly, Grothman himself has never had a TikTok account, unlike several other members of Congress.
The TikTok app experienced a temporary outage for users in the United States on Saturday night. However, it was back online on Sunday afternoon Eastern Time. This development came after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to sign an executive order on Monday, following his inauguration at noon, which would postpone the ban on the app. Interestingly, Trump also expressed his desire for the U.S. federal government to own 50% of the app, although the specifics of how this would be implemented remain unclear.
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