Police in Wisconsin are investigating a fire that was set at the district office of U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman, which was allegedly committed by a 19-year-old man from Menasha. The suspect, who has been identified as a 19-year-old man, has admitted to setting the fire in response to the popular social media app TikTok going dark in the United States.
According to authorities, the incident occurred just after 1 a.m. on January 19, when a fire was reported at a strip mall where Grothman’s office is located. The Fond du Lac Police Department and the City of Fond du Lac Fire Rescue responded to the scene, where they found the suspect near the strip mall shortly after putting out the fire.
The suspect has been charged with arson and is being held at the Fond du Lac County Jail. The incident is being investigated by the Fond du Lac Police Department, and a charge of arson will be referred to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office.
Grothman responded to the incident, saying that “nobody was hurt in the fire and the damage has been contained.” He also thanked the firefighters and police officers for their swift response.
Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said that the department is “committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community” and that “acts of violence, in any form, are not tolerated.”
The incident is believed to have been motivated by the recent shutdown of TikTok in the United States, which was briefly restored after President-elect Trump promised to issue an executive order to extend its operations on Inauguration Day.
