A TikTok trend threatening violence across American schools has gone viral.

The anonymous social media threat suggested that school shootings and bombings could take place on Friday 17 December in schools across the country.

The posts, which ABC2 said were believed to have originated in Arizona, encourage students to stay at home.

Several school districts and police departments across the country have released statements assuring communities that no credible threats have been identified.

School shootings

The threat comes after the US was rocked by its worst school shooting since 2018.

Ethan Crumbley, a 15-year-old sophomore student at Oxford High School, Michigan, allegedly opened fire on November 30th, killing four pupils and injuring seven more.

The motivation for the attack is unknown, but investigators say the suspected gunman's parents purchased the pistol four days before the attack as an early Christmas present for their son.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard of Oakland County said the tight-knit community had been rattled by a "huge spike in threats" of violence since the mass killing.

On Tuesday, schools in Oxford County were then forced to remain vigilant after a school district received a threat aimed at staff and students.

Schools around the country are now reacting to the threat of widespread violence that has been circulating on social media.

The Citrus County School District in Florida issued Thursday a statement debunking the rumors and urged parents and kids not to spread the social media post any further.