Teen, 19, ‘burns down congressman’s office’ after being outraged by TikTok ban – only for app to return hours later
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A TEENAGER has been accused of setting fire to a Republican congressman’s office after being infuriated by TikTok going down, police say. The 19-year-old, who has not been named, was arrested in Wisconsin - only hours before the platform’s service was restored.
![[Fire damage to the exterior of a building.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/fire-fury-teen-19-burns-965211086.jpg?strip=all&w=663)
TikTok went dark for around 170 million users in the US on January 19 following Friday’s Supreme Court ruling. The nation’s top court upheld a law passed by Congress that banned the platform over national security fears. Cops revealed the fire broke out at a strip mall in Fond du Lac, home to congressman Glenn Grothman’s office, at around 1am local time on Sunday.
![[Fire damage to the exterior of a building.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/fire-fury-teen-19-burns-965211087.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Police quizzed the man who admitted the fire was started over the social media network ban. He faces a charge of arson. Grothman was one of the lawmakers who backed the TikTok ban. But, he slammed the suspected arson attack. He claimed the TikTok issue was secondary and warned there can’t be a situation where a lawmaker’s office is burned down because someone disagrees with their view, as reported by the ABC affiliate WISN-TV.
![[Illustration of a phone displaying a TikTok ban message against a blurred US flag.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/tiktok-application-message-announcing-ban-965048673.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Grothman, who represents Wisconsin’s 6th congressional district, was first elected in 2014 and revealed no staffers had been injured. TikTok went down on Sunday morning following the Supreme Court’s verdict. A note popped up on phone screens that said: “A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S.
![[Headshot of Rep. Glenn Grothman.]](https://www.the-sun.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/rep-glenn-grothman-r-wis-965211192.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
