An 18-year-old woman from Des Plaines is facing charges after allegedly threatening to shoot at her former elementary school.
Esmeralda Vargas, who was charged with disorderly conduct, reportedly posted a video on TikTok on September 9. In the video, she threatened to “shoot up” North Elementary School in Des Plaines and said the shooter from the Uvalde, Texas school attack was her “idol,” according to Des Plaines police.
The video was flagged after the SS-ARS Crisis Center, a group that receives tips about potential school threats, sent an anonymous alert to the police. Following this, the police worked with TikTok to track down the identity of the person behind the video. This led investigators to Vargas’ address on the 400 block of East Willow Avenue in Des Plaines.
With the help of Vargas’ parents, the police conducted a search of the home, but they did not find any firearms. However, Vargas was banned from entering School District 62 property.
On December 6, TikTok provided more information to the authorities, revealing a conversation between Vargas and an unidentified person. In the chat, Vargas again threatened a shooting at her former school. After learning of the threat, the police acted quickly and arrested Vargas on Monday.
Vargas is now facing legal consequences for the threatening video and the conversation that followed. Authorities continue to take threats against schools seriously, and law enforcement acted promptly to prevent any possible harm.
