TikTok ban cited by man suspected of setting fire to US congressman's office in Fond du Lac
Police and fire personnel responded to the report of a fire at the strip mall containing the congressman's office at around 1 a.m. Sunday.
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TikTok ban cited by man suspected of setting fire to US congressman's office in Fond du Lac
The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
Brandon Reid Lawrence Andrea
Fond du Lac Reporter
FOND DU LAC – A 19-year-old man accused of setting fire to a building in Fond du Lac early Sunday that included Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman's office cited the TikTok ban as a motive in the incident, according to authorities.
The Fond du Lac Police Department said the Menasha man was arrested after being found near a strip mall, 525 N. Peters Ave., that contained Grothman's district office.
Police and fire officials initially responded to the strip mall about 1 a.m. after receiving a report of a fire. The building was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported, police said. Fire personnel extinguished the blaze, which began outside the building and burned the building's outside siding and an air conditioning unit.
More:TikTok shut down. Some can access browser version: Live updates
Police said the 19-year-old suspect “admitted to starting the fire in response to recent talks of a TikTok ban.” Grothman was among a bipartisan majority of 360 House members who voted last year in favor of a bill that would force TikTok’s Chinese parent company to sell the app or face a ban in the U.S. That ban went into effect over the weekend.
Grothman told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the fire was contained to outside the building. He said the fire did not appear to get inside but said a staff member who visited the scene told him the office smelled of smoke.
A photo provided to the Journal Sentinel by Grothman's office shows what an aide said was the burned back door of the congressman's district office.
“I don’t even know yet (what happened) other than somebody tried to set a fire over TikTok,” Grothman said in a brief interview Sunday morning.
TikTok stopped working in the U.S. on Saturday after the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the 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.
President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said he would sign an executive order to stall the app's ban. He is set to take the oath of office on Monday.
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," according to USA TODAY.
“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. Grothman told the Journal Sentinel the suspect was arrested at the scene "because he was just sitting there watching it burn."
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 hundreds of House members in April last year who voted in favor of the bill to either force TikTok’s parent company to sell the popular social media app or face a ban. Here's how all U.S. representatives in Wisconsin voted on that legislation:
- Bryan Steil (R-1): YEA
- Mark Pocan (D-2): NAY
- Derrick Van Orden (R-3): YEA
- Gwen Moore (D-4): NAY
- Scott Fitzgerald (R-5): YEA
- Glenn Grothman (R-6): YEA
- Tom Tiffany (R-7): YEA
- Mike Gallagher (R-8): YEA
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contact Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com.
