Virginia State Police debunk viral mass kidnapper rumor

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - A social media rumor claiming dozens of kids were kidnapped in Virginia in just one week is making its rounds.

Virginia State Police says there is no evidence of a “mass kidnapper” anywhere in the Commonwealth. This claim started spreading through viral TikTok’s and Facebook posts, but police want to debunk it immediately.

State Police say in reality, most missing child cases in Virginia are runaways, and most come home quickly.

Last week, 88 kids were reported missing to the state clearinghouse — right in line with Virginia’s weekly average of 98, so far this year. State Police say only about 4% remain missing long-term.

State police says all of those cases are runaways, not abductions.

Virginia reports every missing child case to the National Center for Missing