Knoxville, Iowa: 15-Year-Old Football Player’s Phone Pulled Apart and Destroyed in Locker Room Trash Can After His Sweatshirt Was Stolen and Hidden in Ceiling Tiles!

December 24, 2026

This article was last updated by Aditi Rai on December 24, 2026

A mother named Whitney Gilderbloom took to her Facebook to share what happened to her son Cooper, who plays football and goes to school in Knoxville, Iowa.

She explained that someone stole his phone while he was at practice on December 18, 2026, and then threw it into a trash can in the locker room after destroying it completely.

The damage was bad, with the phone pulled apart. In fact, the wires ripped out from the inside, and she made clear this was no accident but something done on purpose.

She wrote a status on Facebook asking if anyone knew anything about the phone being taken and damaged because she had already talked to the police and wanted help from the community.

Then, in a follow-up message, she gave more details about finding the phone at the bottom of that locker room trash can in such terrible shape.

Nobody had come forward with information, even though people must have seen something, and she urged other parents to speak with their children and encourage them to tell the truth.

She wrote:

Parents, talk to your kids. Have them do the right thing. This wasn’t an accident. This was completely intentional and criminal.

Whitney also brought up another incident from the week before, when Cooper’s sweatshirt disappeared and ended up hidden up in the ceiling tiles, forcing him to go home in some dirty shirt he found instead.

You May Read:

She described these actions as part of ongoing bullying that has affected the school for a long time.

Whitney boldly said that bullying is never acceptable, no matter what. Even though she admitted her own child is not perfect and nobody’s kid is, she said this kind of behavior crosses the line into something criminal and wrong.

Whitney pleaded with everyone who might know details to come forward and do the right thing, saying if you see or hear something, you should say something.

• Check other Articles on

Aditi is an avid music lover whose interest's goes beyond the realm of music, with passion in digital marketing. A Gen Z who loves her personal space and is keen to exploring new things. An optimist who seeks silver lining in every circumstances life throws at her.

Related articles

May 15, 2026

May 15, 2026

May 14, 2026

May 14, 2026

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY

Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here

Δ

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Share article

- May 15, 2026 Jerry Lee Singleton, a 1974 graduate of DeKalb High School, where he was a standout athlete, has passed away at 70. Singleton was born on...

- May 15, 2026 Residents living along Blackwell Road in Huthwaite are calling for urgent action after a group of children was repeatedly caught kicking front doors and...

- May 14, 2026 Howard Paul Sr., a graduate of Black River High School, tragically passed away. Paul was born on September 15, 1951, to his father, Arthur, and...

- May 14, 2026 A disturbing act of violence at Steven's Park in Allentown has left residents shaken and demanding answers after a witness took to social media...

- May 13, 2026 Residents of Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, are raising serious concerns after a series of violent incidents involving a group of young boys who have been targeting...