Leo Gillick
There’s a kidnapper on the streets of Virginia, and he’s out here snatching everybody. Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife. Or, apparently not, according to Virginia police. Turns out those rumors were massively overblown. Thanks, internet!
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Online, people began shouting about a mass kidnapper roaming the streets of Virginia. The viral sensation claimed that the many missing kids reported in the state were all taken by one child snatcher. In a single week, 88 kids were reported missing, which is slightly below the average of 98.
Viral posts on TikTok and Instagram claimed that all the kids were snatched by one person. Videos online started popping up with people speculating on the cause of the missing kids. The viral machine got its wheels rolling, and then it became a sensation.
The number of missing kids every week in Virginia shocked folks. Of course, they have no idea what the average is, or how many were returned, so almost 90 a week sounds terrifyingly high. Speculation about a mass kidnapper, along with stories and sensationalism, started pouring out on Virginia social media.
@jayygocrazyy_218 This has to be stopped immediately #fyp #news #virginia #richmond #relatable ♬ Dust Collector – ybg lucas
But, police have reassured people that, in actual fact, 88 missing kids is no big deal. And, besides, almost all of them returned home safely.
No Mass Kidnapper Stealing Virginia Kids
Although the numbers seem high, what people don’t realise is how quickly parents report their kids missing. If a child goes on a little stroll and gets out of their parents’ shouting range, they will often be reported to the police. This has to be recorded, adding to the numbers.
More often than not, the child will make their way home in a little while and receive a scolding, and be reported as returned. According to the Virginia State Police, 3,274 total children were reported missing since January. Only 4% of those are still missing now. That’s still 130, but it’s not indicative of a mass kidnapper in Virginia.
In a statement released by the VSP, they laid the Virginia mass kidnapper rumors to rest. “Virginia State Police is not investigating any reports of mass abductions in Virginia, nor is there evidence of mass abductions occurring in Virginia.”
