The office of Wisconsin Congressman Glenn Grothman was targeted in an arson attack allegedly carried out by a 19-year-old man angry over discussions of a TikTok ban, according to local authorities. The incident occurred overnight Saturday at Grothman’s office, located in a strip mall in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Police say the suspect has been taken into custody and is facing arson charges.
The Fond du Lac Police Department stated in a press release that officers and firefighters responded to the scene at approximately 1:02 a.m. Sunday after receiving reports of a possible fire. Upon arrival, officers used fire extinguishers to contain the flames until the fire department arrived to fully extinguish the blaze. The office, which was unoccupied at the time, sustained damage, though no injuries were reported.
Police identified the suspect as a 19-year-old male resident of Menasha, Wisconsin, but his name has not been released pending formal charges. According to police, the suspect admitted to starting the fire in response to “recent talks of a TikTok ban.” The ban, which had gone into effect nationwide late Saturday evening, required the app’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to cease operations in the U.S. The policy was upheld last week by the Supreme Court following its passage in April 2024.
Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein addressed the incident in a statement, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime. “Acts of violence in any form are not tolerated, and we remain committed to protecting the safety and well-being of our community,” Goldstein said. “I am thankful for the swift response of our officers in helping knock down the fire and also locating the suspect of this arson.”
🚨 JUST IN: A 19-year-old man has been arrested for SETTING FIRE to WI Congressman Glenn Grothman’s office over the TikTok ban
This is insane.
TikTok has been cited as the cause for several 911 calls across the country from people in distress about the ban.
There is a SERIOUS… pic.twitter.com/SLa0obU7cN
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 19, 2025
Grothman, a Republican, voted in favor of the TikTok ban and addressed the incident Sunday in an interview with ABC affiliate WISN. He condemned the attack and warned against using violence as a response to political disagreements. “The TikTok issue is really secondary,” Grothman said. “I deal with, obviously, dozens of issues up here, and we cannot have people, if they disagree with me, say the way to settle that disagreement is, ‘Let’s try and burn down the congressman’s office.’”
TikTok users in the U.S. were notified of the ban late Saturday night, encountering a message that read, “Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can’t use TikTok for now.” However, the social media app was reinstated just 14 hours later with a new message stating that President Donald Trump had promised to “work” with ByteDance “on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office.”
The arson suspect is currently being held at the Fond du Lac County Jail, and his case has been referred to the Fond du Lac County District Attorney’s Office. Police said additional information would be made available if a criminal complaint is filed.
Grothman’s office fire marks a rare escalation in public outrage over the TikTok ban, which has sparked controversy nationwide. As investigations continue, local officials are reiterating calls for peaceful dialogue and adherence to the rule of law when addressing disagreements with public policy.
