What is going on in Virginia right now?
By Nitzaliah Festinger
If you’ve been online recently, you’ve probably seen the rumors going around about the mass abduction case in Virginia. So, what’s happening? Are these stories true?
Many posts on different online platforms claim there has been “a mysterious ice cream truck” spotted driving around late at night in Virginia. A video on TikTok surfaced of a young girl trying to purchase ice cream from the truck at 1:00 AM. In this video, the truck driver tells the girl she has to go inside the truck to get her ice cream. Along with this, around 100 Virginia kids are known to have gone missing this month.
The Virginia State Police have come out with a statement recently saying that there has been no evidence of a mass abduction. They claim that only 88 children have gone missing, and highlighted that the weekly average of missing child reports in Virginia is 98. The Virginia Police never addressed the rumors of the ice cream truck, so many find it reasonable to assume the rumors are most likely fake.
While the police explained that there is no need to worry about a mass abduction, some say it still seems odd that there are so many kids constantly going missing in Virginia. The reason it appears there are more missing cases is that, unlike in other states, Virginia authorities report every missing case. This means that they even report cases of runaways. If other states reported runaways, they would have a much higher average of missing cases;
Another thing audiences online are worried about is the fact that there were no Amber Alerts sent out for these missing cases. In their statement, the Virginia police recall that these missing cases don’t fit the criteria to have an Amber Alert. However, some of the children who have already been found had amber alerts sent out for them.
So, how does any of this concern us here in Colorado? Things like this happen all over the world. And it is important to be alert and aware in order to stay safe. When going somewhere alone or meeting up with people, you should tell somebody else where you’re going and when you plan on getting back home. It’s important to pay attention to your surroundings when walking around outside.
While stories like these may be alarming, it’s very important to remember that it’s just a headline. Some stories sound scarier than they really are, but remember that not everything posted and seen online is true, and it’s important to prioritize your safety.
Sources:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/virginia-amid-missing-children-rumors-netizens-say-creepy-ice-cream-truck-being-spotted-every-night-101755492660805.html
https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/08/21/mass-abduction-virginia-claim/
https://vsp.virginia.gov/virginia-state-police-address-viral-social-media-videos-regarding-missing-children-in-the-commonwealth/
