A 19-year-old, enraged over the brief suspension of TikTok in the United States, has been accused of setting fire to the district office of Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.). The incident, which occurred over the weekend, caused slight damage to the strip mall in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where the office is located.
CBS News has additional details:
The fire was first reported around 1 a.m. Sunday. The fire rescue said in a Facebook post that police officers used fire extinguishers to hold the blaze at bay until fire crews arrived.
The fire began outside the building — which was unoccupied at the time — and caused minor damage before it was extinguished. No injuries were reported.
A 19-year-old Menasha man, whose name has not been released, was in custody and will be charged with arson, police said. They said he was arrested after he was seen near the mall watching the fire.
“We are relieved that no one was injured and the office was unoccupied at the time of the fire. Acts of violence, in any form are not tolerated, and we remain committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community,” police Chief Aaron Goldstein said in a statement. “I am thankful for the swift response of our Officers in helping knock down the fire and also locating the suspect of this arson.”
Grothman confirmed that he was aware of the fire but did not have any immediate comments.
The attack comes in the wake of heightened tensions surrounding the U.S. government’s handling of TikTok, the popular social media platform owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance. Congressman Grothman had supported legislation passed in April that required ByteDance to divest TikTok’s U.S. operations to avoid a nationwide ban.
The controversy escalated dramatically this past weekend when TikTok went dark for 24 hours, leaving its 170 million American users unable to access the app. The outage followed enforcement measures tied to a bipartisan law signed by former President Joe Biden. The law mandated TikTok’s sale to an approved buyer by Jan. 19, 2025, citing national security concerns over data privacy and potential Chinese government influence.
However, in a surprising turn of events, TikTok restored its services by Sunday afternoon, following intervention from President Donald Trump. The platform credited Trump for a reprieve that delayed enforcement of the ban, with a message greeting returning users:
“Welcome back! Thank you for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”
READ NEXT: Dark Blue Enclave Sparks Constitutional Battle Over Court Orders
President Trump should take a better look at TikTok.
fINALLY A PRESIDENT FOR AND BY THE PEOPLE!!!!!
Tik Tok effects brainwashing
AND THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THE MENTAL ILLNESS OF THE PEOPLE THAT USE TIKTOK!!!