TikTok Ban Sparks Strip Mall Arson Incident

A man allegedly set fire to a Wisconsin strip mall housing Rep. Glenn Grothman's office, motivated by anger over the federal TikTok ban. The incident caused minor damage and took place at an unoccupied building. The suspect, a 19-year-old, was arrested and faces arson charges.

A Wisconsin strip mall, which includes the office of Republican Rep. Glenn Grothman, suffered minor damage from a fire set by a man protesting the TikTok ban. Law enforcement reported that the fire in Fond du Lac occurred around 1 a.m. and was quickly extinguished by responding firefighters.

The suspect, a 19-year-old from Menasha, allegedly started the fire outside the mall, driven by frustration over a federal mandate requiring TikTok's China-based parent company to sell its U.S. operations. No injuries were reported as the building was unoccupied at the time.

Authorities have charged the man with arson after he was reportedly spotted near the scene watching the fire. Rep. Grothman, who supported the legislation impacting TikTok, is aware of the incident but has not issued an official statement.

(With inputs from agencies.)