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Police identify teens caught in social media video allegedly 'coughing on produce, customers'

Posted at 10:36 AM, Mar 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-22 13:50:09-04

(KGTV) -- As more states across the country issue "stay at home" orders and closing down schools to curb the spread of Coronavirus, Virginia police are warning families to keep a closer eye on their children's social media habits.

Virginia police investigators say they have identified two teenagers caught in a social media video purportedly coughing on grocery store customers and produce.

The Purcellville Police Departmentsaid the teens admitted to their involvement in the video, but investigators determined that the teens did not cough or spit on customers nor produce

"The investigation concluded the teenagers were getting close to other patrons and coughing into their own sleeves, while filming it on their phones," police said.

Due to the age of the minors involved, no names or video footage was released.

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Purcellville police determined that there was no criminal intent and no actual customers or produce were spit or coughed on directly. No arrests have been made.

"We appreciate the store’s swift action in reporting the incident to police and removing any items in question to ensure the health of store patrons and employees," police said.

The police department is reminding families to supervise their students more closely to their social media usage as school closures could create idle time for young children and teens, leaving them potentially exposed to unfiltered social media content and trends.

"We have learned that this appears to be a disturbing trend on social media across the country, and we ask for help from parents to discourage this behavior immediately," police said.

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