Man Admits Beginning Fireplace at Congressman’s Workplace Over TikTok Ban: Police

• Police mentioned a 19-year-old admitted to beginning a hearth on the weekend over the TikTok ban.
• The hearth passed off at an workplace utilized by Wisconsin Rep. Glenn Grothman. The person was arrested close by.
• President-elect Donald Trump mentioned he’ll problem an govt order delaying the ban.

A 19-year-old cited the TikTok ban as motivation for setting fireplace to a member of Congress’s workplace over the weekend, police mentioned.

The hearth passed off on Sunday at a strip mall in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, which included a district workplace utilized by Rep. Glenn Grothman, in accordance with a press release from the native police.

Grothman, a Republican, was among the many 352 members of Congress who voted in favor of the invoice requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s guardian firm, to divest from TikTok within the US or face it being banned there.

The native fireplace division mentioned there was “reasonable injury” to the surface of the workplace, however no accidents have been reported. It mentioned the blaze appeared “suspicious” in nature and that it could be investigated.

Police mentioned in a press release that the 19-year-old suspect, who’s from the Wisconsin metropolis of Menasha, was arrested close to the constructing.

The person, who was not named, “admitted to beginning the hearth in response to latest talks of a TikTok ban,” it mentioned.

Talking to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Grothman mentioned he did not know but what had occurred “aside from anyone tried to set a hearth over TikTok.”

Grothman has beforehand co-sponsored a invoice banning TikTok from US authorities units, and has referred to the app as a “rising nationwide safety menace.”

Grothman’s workplace didn’t reply to a request for remark from Enterprise Insider made exterior working hours.

On Friday, the Supreme Courtroom upheld the ban on TikTok. The platform was down for US customers for 12 hours beginning late Saturday evening.

As of Sunday, nevertheless, the app was accessible once more, and President-elect Donald Trump, who is because of take workplace on Monday, mentioned that he’ll problem an govt order delaying the ban.

“Thanks on your endurance and assist,” learn a message to TikTok’s US customers. “On account of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is again within the US!”

The specter of shedding entry to TikTok has dismayed lots of its roughly 170 million customers within the US, together with the armies of creators and influencer entrepreneurs who make a dwelling on the platform.