An 18-year-old Des Plaines woman was arrested for a social media post in which she threatened to “shoot up” the elementary school she once attended, authorities said.
Esmeralda E. Vargas was charged with one count of disorderly conduct, the Des Plaines Police Department said in a Facebook post. Police say the SS-ARS Crisis Center, an organization that receives tips about possible school shootings, notified Des Plaines authorities of a threat made against the school on Sept. 9. Someone threatened to “shoot up” North Elementary School in Des Plaines. in a TikTok post, in which they also said the Uvalde, Texas, school shooter was their “idol.”
Investigators with the Des Plaines Police Department then contacted TikTok to contain the subscriber’s information and determined that the poster’s IP address was located at a residence located in the 1400 block of East Willow Avenue , the police said. With the cooperation of Vargas’ parents, police searched the home for weapons but found no firearms, authorities said.
On December 6, Des Plaines police received the results of a search warrant submitted to TikTok, which “provided detailed information about a conversation” Esmeralda had with an unknown TikTok user, threatening to “shoot” on North Elementary School.
Vargas, who turned herself in to police Dec. 30, was cited for one count of disorderly conduct and released in accordance with state law, authorities said.
NBC Chicago
