Officials Still Don’t Know Why Military Munitions Plant Exploded

Headline USA Editor
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Officials Still Don’t Know Why Military Munitions Plant Exploded

(Headline USA) Officials were investigating a blast that leveled an explosives plant in rural Tennessee, as families of the 18 people missing and feared dead waited anxiously Saturday for answers.

The explosion Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems, which supplies and researches explosives for the military, scattered debris over at least a half-mile area and was felt by residents more than 15 miles away, said Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis.

Aerial footage showed the company’s hilltop location smoldering and smoky Friday, with just a mass of twisted metal, burned-out shells of cars and an array of debris left behind.

Davis, who described it as one of the worst scenes he’s ever seen, said multiple people were killed. But he declined to say how many, referring to the 18 missing as “souls” because officials were still speaking to family.

“What we need right now is we need our communities to come together and understand that we’ve lost a lot of people,” he said.

Signs near the site on Saturday asked for prayers for the families.

The company’s website says it processes explosives and ammunition at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles southwest of Nashville. It’s not immediately known how many people work at the plant or how many were there when the explosion happened.

Davis said investigators are trying to determine what happened and couldn’t say what caused the explosion.

Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, said in a post on social media on Friday that their “thoughts and prayers” are with the families and community impacted.

“We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions,” the post said.

The company has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the U.S. Army and Navy, to supply different types of munitions and explosives, according to public records. The products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C4.

When the explosion occurred, residents in Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake, and some people captured the loud boom of the explosion on their home cameras.

The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep.

“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” he told The Associated Press. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee posted on the social platform X that he is monitoring the situation and asked “Tennesseans to join us in prayer for the families impacted by this tragic incident.”

A small group gathered for a vigil Friday night at a nearby park, clutching candles as they prayed for the missing and their families and sang “Amazing Grace.”

The U.S. has a long history of deadly accidents at workplaces, including the Monongah coal mine explosion that killed 362 men and boys in West Virginia in 1907. Several high-profile industrial accidents in the 1960s helped lead President Richard Nixon to sign a law creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration the next year.

In 2019, Accurate Energetic Systems faced several small fines from the U.S. Department of Labor for violations of policies meant to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals, radiation and other irritants, according to citations from OSHA.

In 2014, an explosion occurred at another ammunition facility in the same small community, killing one person and injuring at least three others.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

 

Dems Delete ‘Racist’ Cartoon of Winsome Sears and Abigail Spanberger

Luis Cornelio
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Dems Delete ‘Racist’ Cartoon of Winsome Sears and Abigail Spanberger

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A local Democratic Party chapter in Virginia on Friday posted, then deleted, a racially charged cartoon smearing Winsome Earle-Sears, the state’s lieutenant governor, who is running for governor in 2025.

The cartoon, posted Friday by Powhatan County Democrats on X, depicted Earle-Sears as a raving lunatic to mock her performance during Thursday’s debate with Abigail Spanberger, her Democratic opponent and former congresswoman. 

The image portrayed Earle-Sears, who is black, with exaggerated features around her hips and lips, painting her as angry and disruptive. 

“Abigail! Abigail! Blah blah. Interrupt! Interrupt!” the cartoon read beside the caricature of Earle-Sears. “No abortions. No gay marriage. I’m with Trump!” 

By contrast, Spanberger appeared polished, taller than Earle-Sears, and looking down on her with an air of superiority. “May I speak?” read a speech bubble near Spanberger. 

The Powhatan County Democrats deleted the post amid mounting backlash. 

“We reposted an online political cartoon that some people thought had racist overtones. That was certainly not our intent. We have deleted it out of respect to anyone who took it that way,” the group said in a statement. 

The cartoon followed a tense debate between Earle-Sears and Spanberger, during which Earle-Sears repeatedly pressed her opponent on whether she still supported Jay Jones, the embattled Democrat running for Virginia attorney general. 

Jones had sent text messages in 2022, months after resigning from the legislature, saying he wanted to kill a top Republican in the state legislature. 

Throughout the race, Earle-Sears has faced repeated racist attacks from Democrats, including a protester at a GOP rally who held a sign reading: “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then blacks can’t share my water fountain.” 

Major Newspaper Retracts Graphic Depicting GOP Assassination

Luis Cornelio
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Major Newspaper Retracts Graphic Depicting GOP Assassination

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) One of the largest newspapers in Utah came under fire for posting a cartoon that critics said advocated violence against Republican lawmakers. 

Published by The Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday, the cartoon bore the headline, “The Hole-in-the-Head Gang,” and put caricatures of lawmakers in “Wanted” posters. 

The GOP figures showed red bandanas around their necks, which some critics said referenced the fatal neck shot that killed Charlie Kirk, the late founder of Turning Point USA. 

The cartoon targeted Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis and Reps. Blake Moore, Burgess Owens, Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy. 

The caption accused them of failing to “honor their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution from the dictatorial whims of a malignant clown.” 

“Your Utah reps!” it read, alongside the all-caps phrase: “THE GUTLESS GANG.”  

Critics quickly slammed The Salt Lake Tribune and columnist Pat Bagley for the drawing. 

In response, the newspaper removed the headline and replaced it with “Utah’s reps.” 

The paper explained its decision in an editor’s note: “The headline on this cartoon has been updated because the original did not meet our standards for publication. We know words matter. We try to be intentional about the words we use and we regret this error.” 

The retraction came amid a broader debate over leftist extremism and its growing turn to political violence against Republicans. 

Most recently, Kirk was senselessly killed while addressing supporters at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. 

His alleged killer, Tyler James Robinson, reportedly targeted Kirk because of his “hatred.”  

This followed two assassination attempts against Trump: in Butler, Pa., on July 13, 2024, and at Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, Fla., on Sept. 15, 2024. 

Acting Prosecutor Filed Letitia James Indictment Independent of Senior DOJ Pressure

Luis Cornelio
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Acting Prosecutor Filed Letitia James Indictment Independent of Senior DOJ Pressure

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A Friday report by CNN may have inadvertently undermined claims of political influence behind the mortgage fraud indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

According to the outlet, Lindsey Halligan, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, did not “coordinate” with the DOJ before seeking a grand jury indictment against James.

CNN cited two anonymous “sources familiar with the matter,” reporting that Halligan’s decision purportedly caught Attorney General Pam Bondi “off guard.”

“Halligan, who has been running the Eastern District of Virginia for just over two weeks, did not coordinate with Bondi or other leaders at the Justice Department headquarters in Washington, DC, or inform them about timing before presenting the case to a grand jury,” CNN added.

The CNN account suggests that Halligan acted independently, directly undermining widespread claims that President Donald Trump or Bondi pressured prosecutors to target James.

Halligan announced the two-count indictment Thursday, accusing James of committing bank fraud and making false statements to a federally backed financial institution.

According to Halligan, James illegally saved $18,000 in interest on her second Virginia-based property after listing it as her secondary residence, rather than the investment property that it was intended to be. Financial institutions typically charge higher rates for second properties or for properties used for renting.

Purposely lying on a mortgage application to federally backed institutions is a federal crime.

James responded in a video statement calling the charges “baseless” and “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.”

Notably, James first rose to national prominence during her 2018 campaign for New York attorney general, when she pledged to use her office to go after Trump before seeing any evidence of wrongdoing.

She later brought a civil fraud case against the Trump Organization and two of the president’s sons. That case resulted in a $450 million civil fine against Trump, though most of it was ultimately dismissed by a New York appellate court.

The Market Is “Screaming” About Fiat’s Endgame

Money Metals News Service
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The Market Is “Screaming” About Fiat’s Endgame

(Money Metals News Service) On a recent episode of the Money Metals podcast, host Mike Maharrey interviewed Brien Lundin. Brien Lundin is the CEO of Jefferson Financial, publisher of Gold Newsletter, and organizer of the New Orleans Investment Conference.

The two discussed gold’s shocking surge to $4,000 an ounce, the endgame for fiat currencies, and what investors should do next.

The interview was recorded as gold flirted with $4,000 per ounce, a level that seemed impossible just a year ago. Futures prices briefly broke the barrier, while spot prices hovered just below.

Lundin called the move “absolutely stunning.” After decades of suppression, manipulation, and false dawns, long-time gold investors feel like “whipped puppies”—surprised that the market is finally validating what they’ve warned about for years.

To Lundin, gold’s acceleration reflects more than speculation. It’s the culmination of forty-five years of ever-lower interest rates, exploding global debt, and relentless currency debasement. The financial system has entered its endgame.

(Interview Starts Around 6:37 Mark)

What The Price Is Signaling

The price of gold, Lundin says, is sending a message—and it’s not subtle. “Gold doesn’t do something like this unless it’s telling us something,” he explained. “Right now, it’s not whispering—it’s screaming.”

The signal is that fiat money is breaking down. Central banks have poured oceans of liquidity into the global system, creating bubbles, distortions, and debt that can never be repaid. Gold’s surge reflects that recognition.

Earlier this year, gold climbed roughly $500 in about two and a half weeks. Another similar rally followed within a month. Lundin thinks these surges may not all be from foreign central banks. He points to the sudden silence about a Fort Knox gold audit that peaked in February—just as prices launched higher. Coincidence, maybe. But the timing, he says, would “explain a lot.”

The Dollar Index Isn’t The Yardstick

When measuring the dollar, Lundin argues, investors are looking in the wrong place. The Dollar Index (DXY) only compares the U.S. currency to other weak fiat currencies—“the best-looking leper in the colony,” he quipped.

The real yardstick of value is gold. Over long time frames, the dollar has collapsed against gold. The supposed tight inverse relationship between gold and the DXY is overstated. Gold does what it does because fiat currencies are losing purchasing power, not because of small fluctuations between one paper currency and another.

Lundin points to global central bank reserves as proof. In recent years, gold has been quietly replacing U.S. Treasuries in foreign holdings. By some measures, it has already surpassed the dollar’s share. The message: gold is reclaiming its monetary role.

Silver, India, And Global Demand

Silver’s performance tells a similar story. Recently, silver reached an all-time high in rupee terms, highlighting how currencies around the world—not just the dollar—are weakening.

India plays a central role in this global silver demand. While the country is famous for its gold obsession, Lundin reminds listeners that India has long been one of the world’s great “silver sinks.” His 1993 Silver Bonanza report detailed this trend, which is once again accelerating as Indian investors seek refuge from inflation.

Silver’s surge in rupee terms underscores that the problem isn’t confined to the West. Around the globe, people are losing faith in fiat money and turning to tangible assets.

Portfolio Theory Is Catching Up

Modern portfolio theory, Lundin notes, is finally catching up to what gold investors have long known.

Morgan Stanley CIO Michael Wilson recently proposed a new mix—60% equities, 20% bonds, and 20% gold. That’s a radical departure from the classic 60/40 model that has dominated finance for decades.

Lundin recalls running the same numbers thirty years ago. Even in the early 1990s—after a decade of poor performance—allocating just 5% to gold improved risk-adjusted returns. Since then, gold has outperformed every major asset class over the last twenty-five years, naturally pushing its optimal weight higher.

But correlations have changed. Central-bank liquidity has driven nearly all assets to move together, making gold’s independence and its role as a non-correlated store of value even more critical.

Why Advisors Long Ignored Gold

Lundin says the reason financial advisors ignored gold for so long was simple: money.

There are no trailing commissions on physical gold, no management fees to skim. Wall Street had little incentive to promote it. Over time, gold was mocked as a “tinfoil-hat” asset, a tool for doomers and preppers, not prudent investors.

That stigma is now fading. Mainstream investors and respected fund managers—people like Paul Tudor Jones—are beginning to sound like the so-called “gold bugs.” The narrative is shifting, and those who mocked the metal for decades are now taking a second look.

Miners And Silver Are In Catch-Up Mode

Mining stocks and silver are now playing catch-up. Historically, miners led the gold price, anticipating its moves. This time, the pattern reversed because central banks buy gold bullion—not mining shares or silver.

Now that Western investors are joining the rally, capital is flowing into mining stocks and silver. Large producers have doubled or even tripled, yet remain cheap compared to history. Their profits have grown faster than share prices, leaving valuations at the low end of their normal range.

Junior explorers have seen the biggest rebounds. Companies worth under $5 million last year now trade at $25–$30 million. In-ground gold resources that once sold for under $10 per ounce now command $30–$40—and the long-term average for acquisitions remains around $150 per ounce.

Lundin advises investors to take profits where appropriate, but he emphasizes that the sector is still far from overheated.

Insurance vs. Investment At $4,000

Gold serves two purposes—insurance and investment—and Lundin insists investors understand the difference.

If you’re investing, you might prefer silver or miners for more leverage. But if you’re insuring, the question isn’t whether gold is too expensive—it’s whether you can afford to be without it.

Over time, gold preserves purchasing power. Dollars lose it. Holding gold, even at $4,000, protects against the erosion of fiat value.

Lundin notes with irony that even CNBC now admits gold is more reliable than the dollar. It took half a century for mainstream finance to catch up to that reality—but at least it finally has.

Risk, Timing, And Complacency

Lundin warns investors not to be complacent. Trends are easy to identify but nearly impossible to time. The real danger lies in assuming nothing will change.

He compares it to the levees in New Orleans—ignored for decades until suddenly, one day, they mattered more than anything else. Financial systems work the same way.

“Things happen slowly,” he says, “and then all at once.” That’s how collapses unfold, and why gold’s surge should not be dismissed as just another trade.

New Orleans Investment Conference

The New Orleans Investment Conference—running November 2–5—will gather the sharpest minds in precious metals, macroeconomics, and geopolitics.

Lundin describes it as the premier event for metals investors. About forty speakers will present, including top analysts and fund managers. The exhibit hall features many of tomorrow’s mining winners, giving attendees a first look at emerging opportunities.

The conference also embraces New Orleans culture—fine food, jazz, and camaraderie. This year, local music legend James Rivers, now in his mid-80s, will close the event with a live performance.

Tickets and information are available at NewOrleansConference.com. Lundin’s commentary can be found on X (@BrienLundin) and GoldNewsletter.com, where readers can access his research and free investing guides.

Bottom Line

Gold’s climb toward $4,000 is not a random rally—it’s a clear signal that the fiat-money era is running out of road. Central banks lit the fuse, Western investors are following, and the miners are awakening.

For investors, gold remains the core of wealth preservation. Silver and mining stocks provide upside leverage.

The timing may be uncertain, but the trend is unmistakable. Gold is no longer whispering—it’s screaming.

Defense Officials Say Strikes on Cartels Could Happen Inside Venezuela

Headline USA Editor
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Defense Officials Say Strikes on Cartels Could Happen Inside Venezuela

(Kyle Anzalone, Libertarian Institute) As the US is engaging in a large military buildup in the Caribbean, there is a growing number of statements from US officials suggesting that a bombing campaign inside Venezuela could soon begin.

Starting in September, the US began conducting strikes against alleged boats operated by Latin American drug cartels in international waters. Defense officials told The Atlantic that those operations could soon expand to inside Venezuelan territory.

“The campaign could extend inside Venezuelan territorial waters or include drone strikes inside its land borders,” the officials explained.

The State Department has designated about a dozen Latin American cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. President Donald Trump says the US is in an armed conflict with the narco-terrorist cartels, and has authorized the Department of War to conduct lethal strikes.

So far, at least 21 people have been extrajudicially executed during Trump’s unconstitutional bombing campaign.

There is growing concern that the strikes against cartels will expand beyond the gangs to the Venezuelan government. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is the leader of a designated narco-terrorist cartel.

The Atlantic notes that there are problems with the Trump administration’s allegations against Maduro. The White House lacks evidence for the claim that Maduro is the leader of a cartel, and only a small amount of drugs in the US are trafficked through Venezuela.

Last week, Trump ended all negotiations with Venezuela. On Wednesday, Politico reported that a person familiar with the Trump administration said, “There is now a coherent whole-of-government strategy to eliminate Cartel de los Soles and its leader.”

This article originally appeared at The Libertarian Institute.

Trump Snubbed by Nobel Committee, Praised by Winner

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Snubbed by Nobel Committee, Praised by Winner

(Sarah Roderick-Fitch, The Center Square) After being credited for ending seven wars, President Donald Trump was snubbed for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Trump, who accumulated several high-profile nominations for the award, lost to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who dedicated her award to Trump.

“This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom. We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy,” Machado posted to X on Friday morning. “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”

Despite the campaigning and praise from other world leaders for the president’s leadership in ending multiple conflicts around the war in record time, Trump remained pessimistic about his chances of winning the prize – remarking several times that he deserved to win but probably wouldn’t, ascertaining political reasons.

Trump has yet to comment on the snubbing; however, the Director of White House Communications Steven Cheung accused the committee of prioritizing politics.

“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” Cheung posted on X. “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”

Four U.S. presidents have won the award: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama. Roosevelt was the only Republican to win the prize.

Presidential historian and Ronald Reagan biographer Craig Shirley noted on X that Reagan was also snubbed by the Nobel committee, despite ending the decades-long Cold War.

“Ronald Reagan won the Cold War without firing a shot and he also got stiffed on the Nobel Peace Prize. Gorbachev won it for having the wisdom to get on his knees and surrendering,” Shirley wrote.

In recent decades, the Nobel Peace Prize selection committee has come under scrutiny for being perceived as political, most notably with Obama’s 2009 win.

The former president won the award after serving only a few months in office. The committee cited his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” and inspiring “hope for a better future” as the reason behind their decision.

Carter, who won the award in 2002, was cited for “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”

Wilson, also a Democrat, received the award in 1920, being credited as the “leading architect behind the League of Nations” following the First World War.

The only Republican to win the award, Roosevelt, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his role in ending “the bloody war” between Japan and Russia.

The award, named after Alfred Nobel, was established in 1901. In addition to the Peace Prize, the committee awards prizes in the categories of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine and literature.

Man Wanted for Murder in Baltimore Released from Jail in North Carolina

Headline USA Editor
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Man Wanted for Murder in Baltimore Released from Jail in North Carolina

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina issued a press release Friday about why it released a man wanted for murder in Baltimore, Maryland.

The man, 55-year-old Charles Boatwright, allegedly killed someone in July, and was arrested in the Charlotte area the same month for being a fugitive on the run.

While in jail, the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office said it contacted the Baltimore Police Department and advised that a Governor’s Warrant would be required to extradite Boatwright back to Maryland.

“BPD confirmed that the Governor’s Warrant would be in progress,” the sheriff’s office said, explaining that it can only hold a fugitive for 90 days before a warrant has to be issued.

“Despite repeated efforts to confirm receipt of the required documentation, no Governor’s Warrant was received from Maryland within the legal period,” the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office said in its Friday press release.

“On October 8, 2025, Mr. Boatwright’s fugitive charge was dismissed, and he was released from custody. MCSO does not determine who is and is not released from the detention center, and at the time of his release, MCSO had no legal basis to continue detaining Mr. Boatwright.”

According to WBTV 3 in Charlotte, Boatwright was wanted Baltimore for his alleged involvement in the killing of 56-year-old Randolph Smith on July 13.

Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.

Trump Threatens Tariffs on China Over ‘Hostile’ Rare Earths Policy

Headline USA Editor
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Trump Threatens Tariffs on China Over ‘Hostile’ Rare Earths Policy

(Brett Rowland, The Center Square) President Donald Trump threatened a “massive increase” in tariffs on products from China after Beijing tightened export controls on rare earth minerals critical to advanced manufacturing.

Trump’s trade team has been working on a broader trade deal with China for months, but the U.S. president said Friday he is considering canceling an upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the export restrictions.

U.S. markets tumbled on the news, with all three major indexes in the red by midday Friday.

Trump lashed out in a lengthy Truth Social post. He said Chinese officials “are becoming very hostile, and sending letters to Countries throughout the World, that they want to impose Export Controls on each and every element of production having to do with Rare Earths, and virtually anything else they can think of, even if it’s not manufactured in China.”

China announced Wednesday that foreign entities must get a license to export products containing trace amounts of rare earths found in China or made using China’s extraction process. Rare earths are essential minerals in many products, including cars, semiconductors, electronics and advanced military equipment.

Trump said China’s restrictions on rare earth exports would be painful for the U.S. and the rest of the world.

“Nobody has ever seen anything like this but, essentially, it would ‘clog’ the Markets, and make life difficult for virtually every Country in the World, especially for China,” Trump said. “We have been contacted by other Countries who are extremely angry at this great Trade hostility, which came out of nowhere.”

Trump said the export restrictions were a surprise after months of better relations with Beijing since reaching a tariff truce in May. Trump said he was concerned about just such a move.

“I have always felt that they’ve been lying in wait, and now, as usual, I have been proven right! There is no way that China should be allowed to hold the World ‘captive,’ but that seems to have been their plan for quite some time, starting with the ‘Magnets’ and, other Elements that they have quietly amassed into somewhat of a Monopoly position, a rather sinister and hostile move, to say the least,” Trump said.

China recently opened a monopoly investigation into Qualcomm, a U.S. tech company, that could affect its acquisition of another company. China has also said it will charge new port fees to ships with ties to the U.S., including those owned or operated by U.S. companies.

The U.S. president said he plans to respond with export restrictions and tariffs.

“Dependent on what China says about the hostile ‘order’ that they have just put out, I will be forced, as President of the United States of America, to financially counter their move. For every Element that they have been able to monopolize, we have two,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I never thought it would come to this but perhaps, as with all things, the time has come. Ultimately, though potentially painful, it will be a very good thing, in the end, for the U.S.A. One of the Policies that we are calculating at this moment is a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States of America.”

Trump also said he was considering canceling a planned meeting with Xi Jinping.

“I have not spoken to President Xi because there was no reason to do so. This was a real surprise, not only to me, but to all the Leaders of the Free World. I was to meet President Xi in two weeks, at APEC, in South Korea, but now there seems to be no reason to do so,” Trump said.

Earlier this year, trade between the U.S. and China – the world’s two largest economies – came to a standstill after each country hit the other with tariffs above 100%. In May, the two nations reached a 90-day deal to continue talks. At the time, the U.S. said it would reduce its tariffs on China from 145% to 30% while the two nations continued to talk. China said it would cut its levies on U.S. imports from 125% to 10%, according to a joint statement from the two nations. That truce was briefly disrupted in June over concerns about rare earth exports, but Trump later said the deal was back on track.

The U.S. goods trade deficit with China was $295.4 billion in 2024, the largest with any trading partner, according to the White House.

Florida Teens Credited for Averting School Shooting Plot in Washington State

Headline USA Editor
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Florida Teens Credited for Averting School Shooting Plot in Washington State

(Carleen Johnson, The Center Square) Two teenage boys in Florida are being called heroes for their response to a five-second TikTok video last month that may well have averted disaster all the way across the country.

The video, which has since been taken down, reportedly showed plans for a mass school shooting at Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Wash.

“The contents of the TikTok were a map of a high school, and it had classrooms that were identified and labeled as targets,” said Kennewick School Board member Brittany Gledhill in a Thursday interview with The Center Square. “It had other classrooms that were labeled as potential targets. It had labeled exits, and it had the security department of the school listed as a potential threat.”

The map in the video did not indicate the location or name of the school.

“But this young man who lives in Florida decided to show it to a brother, and then together they decided that they needed to tell the authorities,” Gledhill said.

She explained that local authorities in Florida contacted the FBI, and within hours, the investigation was underway to determine the TikTok poster’s location.

That was September 19, a Friday.

“We got involved on Sunday, so that we were able to sweep the campus and provide a secure and safe environment for our students and staff, and that was in conjunction with KPD, or Kennewick police department,” said Kennewick School District Superintendent Lance Hansen.

At that point, the suspect, a 14-year-old Kamiakin High School freshman, was already in custody.

According to the Tri-City Herald, the FBI was able to match the layout and room numbers shown in the TikTok video to Kamiakin High School, and at that point, the FBI contacted the internet provider about the IP address linked to the account.

Officials were able to narrow down the location to a few dozen potential residences in Kennewick, and according to the Herald, law enforcement further narrowed the list based on the times the TikTok account was active.

The address was further narrowed to the boy’s home, where he reportedly lived with his grandparents, and more than two dozen firearms were located.

Hansen told The Center Square that officials believe the young man was most likely to carry out his plan had the boys in Florida not done the right thing.

“It was smart and courageous at the same time, and I think that they can be an example or model for others who may see something and think it’s not a big deal. Just the thought that they would recognize this isn’t right and have the courage to speak up … that’s really where I believe the story is,” Hansen said.

Gledhill said the school board, administration and staff members from Kamiakin High School are putting together a gift basket and thank-you notes for the boys in Florida who reported the TikTok post to authorities.

“We averted a terrible tragedy because of these two young men,” she said. “This is my home high school, and I have two of my own children [who] go to that school.”

Hansen said the school community is still reeling from what could have happened, but is also trying to find a lesson in it.

“In times where information can flow so quickly and there’s some level of anonymity that is created in ways that we communicate, like with social media, it sometimes creates some boldness in youth, which I think is a false positive,” he said. “I mean, there are benefits to the way that we communicate, and there [are] some unintended consequences of that. Having said that, as I reminded our parents, every person who’s on a campus is responsible for the safety of the campus. That’s students, staff, whoever is there. So that model … needs to be applied for everything.”

Given that the accused is 14, he is being charged as a juvenile. Assuming he pleads guilty or is convicted, he could only be confined until he turns 21.

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