Man suspected of setting fire to Wisconsin lawmaker's office cited TikTok ban
The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
FOND DU LAC, Wisc. – The TikTok ban has been cited as a 19-year-old suspect’s reason for setting a U.S. congressman’s office on fire in Fond du Lac early Sunday morning.
Fond du Lac Police Department said the Menasha man was arrested early Sunday morning after being found near a strip mall containing U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman’s office.
Police and Fire Rescue Department personnel had responded to the strip mall at around 1 a.m. Sunday after receiving a report of a fire at the mall. Officers used fire extinguishers to hold the fire in check until Fire Rescue personnel arrived and extinguished it. The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported, police said.
The 19-year-old suspect, according to police, said he “admitted to starting the fire in response to recent talks of a TikTok ban.”
The social media platform TikTok stopped working in the United States Saturday after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that effectively banned it.
The Supreme Court’s decision sided with the government’s national security concerns about the social media platform and its parent company, ByteDance, over arguments about free speech.
TikTok now displays a message explaining to users that a ban was passed, but “President Donald Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution,” asking users to “stay tuned.” Trump is scheduled to take the oath of office Monday.
“We are relieved that no one was injured and the office was unoccupied at the time of the fire,” Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said in the release about the Fond du Lac fire. “Acts of violence, in any form, are not tolerated, and we remain committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community. I am thankful for the swift response of our officers in helping knock down the fire and also locating the suspect of this arson.”
The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, is being held at Fond du Lac County Jail and a charge of arson is being referred to Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office, police said.
The investigation is in the preliminary stages and remains active, police said. Anyone with information can contact the police department at 920-906-5555 or the Crime Alert line at 920-322-3740, where callers can remain anonymous.
No further information was immediately released about the fire Sunday morning.
Grothman was among 352 U.S. representatives in March 2024 who voted in favor of bill number H. R. 7521, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which aimed to either force TikTok’s parent company to sell the popular social media app or face a ban.
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com.