OTTUMWA — On December 9, 2024, the Ottumwa Police Department received a complaint forwarded to us from the FBI regarding an alleged threat that had been made on the social media site, TikTok.  The threat involved language that contained the wording “shoot up the school” along with other concerning language.  

The Ottumwa Police Department and the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office immediately began an investigation into the person responsible for the social media account.  On December 12, 2024, the child responsible for the posting was arrested and released to their parent.  The child was charged with Terroristic Threats, a class “D” Felony.

The Ottumwa Police Department shared in a press release, “It should be noted that the child that was charged in this incident did not have any means to do what they were communicating on social media with their peers.  However, this type of communication will not be tolerated.”