A teenager who allegedly set fire to a Wisconsin strip mall where a congressman's office is located told authorities he was motivated by the federal ban on the popular video-sharing platform TikTok.
Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman voted in favor of a bill last April that would require TikTok's Chinese parent company to sell its U.S. operations by Sunday.
The Fond du Lac fire was reported around 1 a.m. Police said the building was vacant at the time and no injuries were reported.
The small fire started outside the building and caused minor damage before it was quickly extinguished by Fond du Lac police and firefighters who rushed to the scene.
Fond du Lac Police Department (FDLPD) officers were first on scene and quickly deployed fire extinguishers to keep the flames at bay until City of Fond du Lac fire crews arrived.
Chief Aaron Goldstein praised the quick response by law enforcement and firefighters. “We are relieved that no one was injured and that the office was empty at the time of the fire,” he said.
“Acts of violence in any form will not be tolerated and we remain committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community. “I am grateful for the quick response of our officers in helping to extinguish the fire and locate the suspect in this arson.”
The 19-year-old Menasha man, whose name has not been released, is in custody and will be charged with arson, police said.
Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman's office in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, was set on fire by a teenager reportedly motivated by the federal ban on the popular video-sharing platform TikTok
“Obviously I deal with dozens of issues and we can't have people — if they don't agree with me — saying the way to resolve that disagreement is, let's try to burn down the congressman's office,” Grothman said , in the photo.
The suspect is being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail while authorities prepare to file charges with the Fond du Lac County District Attorney.
He is accused of starting the fire, reportedly driven by outrage over the brief TikTok ban that went into effect for about 12 hours on Saturday evening.
Police said the teen was arrested after watching the fire near the mall.
'The TikTok problem is really secondary. I mean, I'm clearly dealing with dozens of issues here, and we can't have people – if they don't agree with me – saying the way to resolve that disagreement is, let's try to burn down the congressman's office stings,” Grothman told WISN 12 News.
The fire started outside the building and caused minor damage before it was quickly extinguished by Fond du Lac police and firefighters who rushed to the scene.
Police said the teen was arrested after he was seen near the building watching the fire burn
After it went dark for users on Saturday evening, the app was reactivated on Sunday afternoon. Trump said on a social media site that he would issue an Executive Order to keep the app running
After going dark with users this weekend, Trump said on his social media site that he would issue an executive order after he is sworn in for a second term on Monday, delaying a TikTok ban “so we can make a deal to protect our national security to protect. '
He said the order would make clear that companies will not be held liable for violating a law aimed at forcing the sale of TikTok by its China-based parent company.
Hours later, the app returned, much to the relief of its legions of dedicated users.
'Thank you for your patience and support. Thanks to President Trump's efforts, TikTok is back in the US!' read the announcement.
