2016 clown sightings

File:Clown fear.jpg

Example of a horror clown

The 2016 clown sightings, referred to in various regions by names such as "panic", "uprising", "craze", "invasion", "The Great Clown Scare" and the like, are a series of sightings of people dressed as an evil clown first reported in the United States and subsequently in other Western countries, from August 2016. The clown sightings were first reported in the US state of South Carolina. By mid-October 2016 they had been reported in nearly all US states, nine out of thirteen provinces and territories of Canada, and eighteen other countries.

While some sightings lacked evidence of criminal activity, others led to arrests. Some people were cited or arrested for making violent clown threats to schools, and some clown incidents involved robberies and assaults on children and adults.

By mid-October 2016, in the wake of hundreds of "clown sightings" in the United States and Canada, the phenomenon had spread from North America to Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Latin America.

Scope, timeline and effects of sightings

Precursor sightings

Numerous sightings of people dressed as clowns in odd or incongruous settings have occurred throughout the world since 2013. The proliferation of videos and images of these precursor sightings spread rapidly through social media posts and viral sharing of the content.

One major precursor event was the 2013 sightings of a "creepy clown" in Northampton, England. The Northampton clown sightings, which terrorized the town during September and October 2013, were the work of three local filmmakers, Alex Powell, Elliot Simpson and Luke Ubanski. The clown shared similar looks to Pennywise the Dancing Clown from Stephen King's book, It. The trio started a Facebook page for the so-called "Northampton clown" and were using the appearances to drive traffic to the page.

In March 2014, Matteo Moroni from Perugia, Italy, owner of YouTube channel DM Pranks, began dressing up as a killer clown and terrifying unsuspecting passers-by, with his videos racking up hundreds of millions of views. A rash of clown sightings appeared in California in October 2014, which centered around the "Wasco clown", and primarily occurred in the Bakersfield, California area with photos appearing on social media.

A person in clown attire was spotted in a cemetery in Chicago, Illinois in July 2015. This occurrence involved two residents who spotted the "creepy clown" scaling the gate at the Rosehill Cemetery late at night. After the clown entered the cemetery, he or she turned to face the residents, and began waving slowly as they made a video recording. After waving for a few seconds, the clown ran into a dark wooded area and was not seen again. Police investigation of the sighting did not lead to any arrests.

2016 sightings and emerging effects

The 2016 clown phenomenon began in Greenville, South Carolina, in the United States in early August, followed by incidents in Canada shortly afterward. It continued to spread around the US to the present.

In early October 2016, further incidents were reported in Canada, and the first occurrences in the United Kingdom and Australia. British communities have been "horrified" and pressure has been placed on police resources.

Throughout this time, internet social media sites received numerous postings related to the phenomenon. The World Clown Association president, Randy Christensen, took a stance against the current trend of people dressing up as clowns to frighten people. Circuses and other clown-related businesses have been affected. In October 2016, fast food chain McDonald's decided that Ronald McDonald would keep a lower profile as a result of the incidents. A sociologist has called 2016 "a bad time to be a professional clown". The killer clown craze has been linked to a significant increase in sales of clown suits in and near Glasgow, Scotland. As of October 12, 2016, at least two original songs had appeared on YouTube specifically referencing the 2016 clown sightings. One song was titled "Creepy Clowns" and the other "Clown Panic Song 2016."

Warnings

On October 12, the Russian Embassy in London issued a warning for Russian and British citizens because of the clown scare. On October 13, the Fiji Police warned people against involvement in the clown events.

Surge in clown porn searches

See also: Coulrophilia

Canadian pornographic website Porn Hub reported that between mid-September and mid-October there were 100,000 clown related searches, a 213% increase.

Clown costume bans and withdrawals

Several New Zealand shops have withdrawn, and a California school district has banned, clown costumes during Halloween. The West Milford, New Jersey school district has banned any form of creepy clown costumes. An Ohio school district, Springboro Community Schools, issued a blanket ban on all clown costumes and clown masks in addition to previously existing policies and restrictions. US discount retailer Target has pulled clown masks from its website and stores as a result of the scare.

By October 25, 2016 several news outlets reported on an alleged clown-initiated "purge" or "clown attack", which supposedly will take place on Halloween Eve of 2016. Most of these threats are being disseminated through social media. Police departments in various locations have insisted that while no credible threats exist, parents and children should use caution when out on Halloween Eve and Halloween. Police departments in regions affected by the "clown purge" threats have cautioned residents not to make fear-based attacks on anyone simply because they are dressed in clown attire, but go on to say that any clowns exhibiting bizarre or threatening behavior should be reported immediately to the proper authorities.

Incidents

United States

After originally occurring in South Carolina, the sightings and threats spread to more than four-fifths of the country's states, the District of Columbia, and the territory of Puerto Rico.

Alabama

In the second and third weeks of September, nine people were arrested across Alabama for clown threats. Seven of them face felony charges. A 14-year-old was arrested for a misdemeanor charge for threatening Rainbow Middle School in Rainbow City. Two teenage juveniles were arrested in Calhoun County, one for making threats to shoot up a Saks middle school, and the other for a charge of "child in need of supervision." In Escambia County, a 22-year-old woman and two juveniles were arrested on terroristic threat charges for a September 15 threat against a school.

Alaska

On October 8 and 9, a woman posted on Facebook that her daughter saw a clown near Floyd Dryden Middle School in Juneau, and that on the night of October 10, her co-worker was chased while in her car by two clowns who were holding metal objects.

Arizona

Two 17-year-old teens allegedly robbed a Phoenix Taco Bell and Domino's Pizza while wearing clown masks. Both of the alleged robbers were armed with weapons, and a gun was fired once during one of the robberies, but no one was injured. The two were arrested for robbery.

Arkansas

Clowns were reported in Lowell, Arkansas, near the elementary schools. A clown was arrested in Downtown Bentonville, Arkansas on October 5, 2016.

California

On October 4, clowns threatened Fairfield, Sacramento, and Vallejo public school campuses. A clown sighting was reported in Temecula.

On October 5, a clown was accused of attempting to kidnap a one-year-old child from his mother in Concord. No arrests have been made.

That same night, in the Los Angeles County city of Lancaster, three incidents of groups of people wearing clown masks and possibly armed with kitchen knives were reported to the police. In San Pedro, Los Angeles, two clowns were spotted by employees at Taper Avenue Elementary School & Technology Magnet. One clown allegedly had the writing "killer" printed on his mask. In Northridge, Los Angeles, at California State University, Northridge, two students were chased down by a lone clown in the campus.

A 14-year-old from Fontana was arrested for making clown-related threats towards schools.

On October 6, clowns were spotted at multiple schools including ones in Moreno Valley, Sacramento, and Beaumont. One clown allegedly walked around the school campus with a sign that read "WEARECOMINGTOCALI." The Huntington Beach Police Department received reports of two separate clown sightings in Huntington Beach: one near a community park and two near a shopping center.

On the same day, the Rohnert Park Department of Public Safety launched an investigation in response to nine clown sightings being reported in the city in the past few days. In nearby Santa Rosa, the Santa Rosa City Schools worked with the Santa Rosa Police Department to investigate clown-related threats made to the district's schools, which were apparently hoaxes. Social media reports of potential clown-related activity in the Bay Area's Antioch and Oakland schools lead to investigations by city police investigations.

Marysville police arrested a juvenile on a felony charge for allegedly making clown-related threats of shooting people at Yuba County schools.

An 11-year-old boy from Salinas was cited for cyberbullying on October 8 for making clown threats towards Alisal Elementary School District schools.

On October 10, a 'creepy clown' was spotted and photographed on a MUNI bus in San Francisco; the clown flipped off the photographer after she took the photo.

On October 16, a clown holding a knife approached a man sitting on his porch outside his house in Santa Clarita, and the home owner fired a gun in the air, scaring the clown. A person dressed as a clown was arrested by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies for possession of burglary tools, although the department speculated that the clown arrested was not connected to the one who was holding the knife. The home owner was taken into custody after deputies found drugs and firearms were found in his home.

On October 23, three men were initially reported to be wearing clown masks and carrying a gun inside the Westfield San Francisco Centre, although it was later reported that the three men were carrying the masks. Mall security reported that the clowns fled the scene after seeing them.

On October 23, sightings of a suspect dressed as a clown in UC Davis's West Village Apartment complex were reported to police. Media coverage and police bulletins publicized the suspect as wielding an unidentifiable weapon and harassing residents.

Colorado

On September 30, in Denver, a student reported to police that a clown grabbed her.

In late September, clown-related threats of violence were made to Jefferson County School District, Poudre High School, Palisade High School, and Northridge High School.

On October 6, an altercation occurred between a clown and a man at the Pikes Peak Greenway Trail in Colorado Springs. The man allegedly asked the clown to identify himself, who refused to do so, and the man punched the clown in the face. The clown then allegedly hit a bottle of whiskey over the man's head, resulting in him bleeding. No arrests have been made in the case.

Connecticut

High schools such as Eli Whitney, Wilbur Cross, Co-Op and James Hillhouse were threatened by "Jackson the Clown" on social media. Two girls were later arrested for the threats.

On October 13, New Britain High School was placed on lockdown following a clown-related incident at the school. A 35-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man were arrested for a breach of peace, and were allegedly driving in a car with clown masks and blaring loud music.

Florida

Numerous reports of creepy clowns sightings have been received by the Indian River County Sheriff's Office. In Indian River County, on September 28, while walking her dog, a woman reported seeing a person in a clown costume come out from behind a tree. The person was dressed in a white clown costume, wore a mask, and had red hair. On September 28, a group of classmates in the Vero Lake Estates area were chased by someone in a clown mask after getting off a bus. A woman near Victoria Park reported sighting two clowns staring at her. Police alerted agencies in the surrounding area. They also conducted a search of railroad tracks and forest areas near US highway 1 but were unable to find the clowns.

Numerous Floridian schools were also put under lockdown due to the clown scare. Additionally, threats arose on social media from people masquerading as clowns, where they threaten to cause a school shooting. One of these "killer clowns" was discovered to be a 12-year-old boy, who said he was going to kill students at Pasco County schools and was subsequently arrested.

People have reported clowns hiding in bushes at night in Lehigh Acres and in South Fort Myers.

On October 23, a 26-year-old Mount Dora man was arrested for illegally possessing a rifle with a scratched out serial number. The man had a clown mask, and ran from Lake County deputies, which resulted in a physical altercation.

Georgia

The LaGrange Police Department received reports of clowns in a van luring children on September 12. Two people were later arrested for falsely reporting a clown sighting, and four were arrested for making a "terroristic threat" involving clown costumes. Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman stated that an individual involved in a car accident reported seeing a clown and swerved to avoid the clown, although no one saw a clown at the time of the incident.

Hawaii

On October 6, an Instagram post by a group of clowns threatened violence to Wai'anae Intermediate, a school in Wai'anae. The U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii was also involved.

Idaho

In early October, reports of clowns walking around school campuses and around streets, some armed with metal weapons, were made in eastern Idaho, including Blackfoot.

Illinois

On October 4, multiple students at Greenwood Elementary School reported that three clowns, one with a briefcase, one with a handgun, and one with a knife, stood on the edge of the school's property and threatened the students. The clowns reportedly made threats to the students, and fled in an SUV. The incident is being investigated by the Waukegan Police Department. A call to the Waukegan Police Department responded in a report that the children were found out have made it up.

On October 5, a 20-year-old man in Altamont, Illinois was arrested for disorderly conduct allegedly wearing a clown mask and holding a chainsaw, scaring a woman and child.

Indiana

These sightings first began in the southern tip of the state and in the last couple weeks there have been attempts by individuals, mainly college students, to "hunt" these clowns as sightings continue to grow in their respective campuses and towns. The known campuses that have reported clown sightings are Purdue University, Indiana University, and Indiana State University. Many towns and cities have also had sightings including Brazil, Terre Haute, Shelbyville, and suburbs of Indianapolis.

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Iowa

On October 11, an 18-year-old man with a clown mask was arrested for allegedly chasing two people with a metal baseball bat in Urbandale.

Kansas

On September 27, 2016, a clown was spotted creeping in the bushes near the intersection of 85th Street and Parallel Parkway in Kansas City, Kansas. On October 1, 2016, in Topeka, a clown was spotted near the intersection of Southeast 37th Street and Southeast Adams Street. Again in Topeka, a few days later on the morning of October 4, 2016, children waiting at a bus stop in the 2400 block of Southeast Colonial Drive witnessed a clown with a knife chasing a 13-year-old girl; however by the time police arrived, the clown was gone.

During the day of October 4, in nearby Lawrence, Kansas several people reported seeing clowns lurking around the University of Kansas campus, with many witnesses posting photos to social media. The clown sightings caused one sorority to go into lockdown. Clowns were also spotted in Lawrence near Free State High School, however upon investigation, those clowns were found to be harmless and were merely waving at passing cars. Reports of clowns have also been made in the Kansas cities of Chanute, Pittsburg, and Parsons; however the Parsons report was later revealed to be a hoax.

Kentucky

On September 23, 20-year-old Jonathan Martin was arrested for wearing a hood or mask in a public place, disorderly conduct and two outstanding warrants for non-payment of fines and failure to appear in court. Martin was found in a full "creepy" clown costume, lurking in wooded area near a Kentucky apartment block.

On October 1, a woman reported that while she was walking on a trail at night, a clown came out of the woods, assaulted her and attempted to drag her into the woods. Officials reported that the woman was able to fight the clown off and escape, while also stating that this is the first clown sighting in Clark County.

On the same day, a man in Bardstown mistook a woman wearing a white afghan out walking her dog for a clown and fired a warning shot with an AR-15 to scare the clown.

Louisiana

In Raceland, Louisiana,two high school pranksters were arrested for wearing clown masks in public.

On October 15, a 21-year-old man was arrested after an alleged incident in Rosepine of him wearing a clown mask and brandishing a gun at drivers, while he was driving his car.

Maine

On October 4, a person dressed as a clown was reported to have stood in an Orono neighborhood for approximately 15 minutes. There have also been sightings in Standish, Bangor, Kennebunk, Gorham Porter, Portland and Wells.

Maryland

In October, clowns themed accounts through different social media outlets began sending out threats to shoot PGCPS county schools for fun, although on October 3, Prince George's County Police arrested a Parkdale High School student connected to these threats. There were also clown sightings around the Maryland Area.

On October 4, 2016, a Facebook user named David Gates filmed a live feed of himself searching for a clown that was sighted standing in his driveway in the Golden Beach area in Mechanicsville, MD. The clown was described as wearing all black with red hair and an all-white face. The live feed reached around 200 viewers, but no clown was found and the police department was not called. During the live feed, it was discussed that there are clown pages on Instagram, containing lists and pictures that threaten several schools.

In Early October, students from Western Heights Middle School in Hagerstown, MD claimed to have seen a clown outside of the school while they were on the basketball courts. This was later proved to be a hoax.

Massachusetts

On October 3, Monday night, students at Merrimack College were briefly told to shelter in place and a residence hall was evacuated after someone reported an armed clown on campus.

Michigan

At 2:11 am on September 22 a clown was reported to police by a Vermontville, Michigan man. The clown was seen walking on M-79 highway in Nashville, MI. At 6:30 am on October 4 Middle School Students waiting at a bus stop in Allegan County, MI saw a clown emerge from a woods, run towards some other students, then disappear into the woods. At 3 am in the early morning of October 2, 2016, 17-year-old Chris Henckel spotted a clown standing at a car wash in Clinton Township, a suburb of Detroit, while driving through the area with friends. While Henckel was not approached or harmed by the clown, he says that it attempted to follow his car. Henckel posted a video of the encounter on Twitter, where it went viral. Clinton Township police declined to investigate the incident, as Henckel wasn't harmed and they haven't received any reports or complaints of strange clowns in the area. Henckel said he drove by the car wash multiple times afterwards in an attempt to find the clown again, but so far it hasn't reappeared.

Two days later, on October 4, 2016, two clown attacks were reported in Sterling Heights, another Detroit suburb in close vicinity to Clinton Township. In the first incident, a seven-year-old boy was approached outside of his home at 6:50 pm by a person of an unspecified gender with "red hair, a red nose and red facial features" wielding a sharp object; the clown scratched the boy's arm with the object then fled, the boy only suffering a minor injury. Later that night at 8:30 pm, two women walking reported being approached by three adult males in clown masks, one of which was wielding a baseball bat, who screamed obscenities, hit the bat against an adjacent fence and then ran away. Sterling Heights police are investigating both incidents and are seeking help from the public. On the same day, the police department of the Detroit suburb of Troy, which borders Sterling Heights, issued a notice that any clowns spotted trespassing at schools or on any private property will be automatically arrested and detained. The notice came after reports of clowns being spotted at area schools during classroom hours, as well as clown-related threats being made to area schools on twitter. They also stated concern for the safety of the clowns, who they fear could be harmed by frightened civilians who may attempt to defend themselves.

On October 3 an anonymous man released a photograph of a clown spotted that night in Lake Orion He was spotted near an ice cream parlor across from a cemetery at the intersection of Indianwood and Lapeer. The clown did not approach and fled on foot right after the photograph was taken.

On October 6, another incident occurred in Livonia, Michigan involving a man in a clown outfit robbing an Embassy Suites by Hilton at gunpoint. The suspect then led police on a chase that took them down Merriman Road where people in the surrounding area heard gunshots, Livonia Public Schools had all schools on lockdown until the situation was resolved. The same suspect was also involved in a second robbery at a Days Inn south of the first incident. The suspect is still at large at the time of this writing.

Also on October 6, two 14-year-old girls were terrorized by two teenage women dressed as clowns, who jumped out of a car and chased them. In a press release after their arrest, the Roseville police chief referred to them as "morons" and "idiots".

Minnesota

A 15-year-old girl from Bloomington created a "Kroacky Klown" Facebook profile and made threats to "kill" in Bloomington and other cities. After police interviewed the girl, she explained she created the profile on her younger sister's phone to scare her boyfriend but "the situation got out of control and went viral," police said.

Mississippi

On September 21 in Tchula, Police Chief Kenneth Hampton reported seeing a clown wearing a multi-colored wig, overalls, and a mask carrying what appeared to be a machete. Upon seeing the police car, the clown fled. His or her whereabouts remain unknown.

Missouri

One driver reported seeing a clown lurking around by Republic High School during the night in Republic, Missouri. Clowns have also been sighted in Platte City, Joplin and Neosho, Missouri. Clown related threats were also made in Blue Springs, Missouri. Clown sightings have also been reported in Clinton, Versailles and University of Missouri campus.

Montana

On October 12, a 15-year-old boy was cited for disorderly conduct for an alleged October 5 threat posted on Facebook. The threat was about a clown killing students at Missoula schools.

Nebraska

In early October, clowns were spotted in Lincoln and Grand Island. On October 5, four teenage clowns were arrested for terroristic threats in Grand Island. One was in possession of a BB gun.

Nevada

In Sparks, Nevada, three men were chased by a suspicious man, dressed like a clown wielding a machete near the Shadow Mountain Sports Complex.

New Hampshire

In Durham, New Hampshire UNH College Students (University of New Hampshire) reported to police that a person dressed as a creepy clown was roaming the campus. Police followed up the report claiming that the clown was found with no weapons except a megaphone.

New Jersey

On Monday October 4, at around 10pm a male in a clown mask carrying a plastic machete scared a woman at a Quick Chek convenience store in Parsippany. A second eyewitness also was scared by the same individual who then ran away through a hole in the fence at the rear of the building. Police officials were unable to locate the suspect initially, however they later identified the individual as a juvenile. Police officials stated that this was a misguided prank and was ultimately harmless.

In Phillipsburg, New Jersey, a boy claimed to have been chased by a clown with a sword. The boy says that he heard the clown say "I’m gonna get cha". In Fair Lawn, New Jersey, two people were arrested after scaring a driver. In Toms River, a 12 and 14-year-old girl were arrested for making separate clown hoaxes.

Clowns were also spotted in Bound Brook, Hunterdon, Monroe, North Plainfield, Trenton, and Spotswood. A middle school student from Cinnaminson was detained for harassing students in a clown costume.

New Mexico

In the first week of October, police in Hobbs received multiple reports of clown sightings. No arrests have yet been made. In the second week of October, there were reports of clowns armed with baseball bats walking around Roswell.

On October 9, three juveniles with clown masks were arrested outside a children's clothing store in Albuquerque. They were found in possession of a firearm.

New York

On September 28 and 29 sightings were reported in Brentwood and North Babylon on Long Island. The North Babylon School District and Shenendehowa School District went on "lockout" the following day, and the Lindenhurst School District employed precautions. A "lockout" means that nobody is allowed to enter or leave during class hours. A Twitter account called "Suffolk Clowns" (@LIClowns) emerged, making (possibly joking) threats to numerous school districts and posting pictures of clowns. However, the account has since been suspended.

On October 5, a man in clown clothing intimidated a 16-year-old boy with a knife on a Manhattan subway, and tried to block him from walking through the doorway as the subway was about to enter the 96th Street station. The boy ran out of the station, and the man fled. On October 13, a 53-year-old man was arrested and charged with menacing. On October 8, a clown was sighted on the campus of SUNY Rockland. On October 9, a clown was seen trying to lure people into the woods in Sloatsburg. On October 10, a clown chased down a girl who was walking her dog Harriman State Park

After an alleged clown sighting at St. Bonaventure University, school officials issued a statement on October 5 requesting that students not take matters into their own hands when confronting potentially dangerous situations. Reports say that students had created a sign-up sheet for an "Anti-Clown Army" and students were later seen roaming the campus armed with baseball bats.

North Carolina

On September 4, children in a Winston-Salem neighborhood reported to police about a clown attempting to lure them into some woods. They described him as wearing white overalls and gloves, red shoes, and bushy, red hair. His face was described as white with a red nose. They claim that he offered them treats if they would go with him. According to police, an adult heard, but did not see, the clown.

On September 7, a witness reported seeing a person wearing a scary clown mask, red curly wig, yellow dotted shirt, blue clown pants and clown shoes exited the woods by an apartment complex around 10 a.m. in Greensboro, although the clown disappeared after another witness attempted to chase down the clown with a machete.

North Dakota

On October 10, police in Rolla received reports of a clown armed with a machete.

Ohio

On September 27 at about 2 am, a woman called Lancaster police and reported that she had seen a clown with a large kitchen knife in its hand. Witnesses at the location told police that they had seen two clowns, one wearing a gold suit with balloon and the other wearing all black. Police failed to find them.

On September 29, a woman was attacked while on her porch while she was smoking. She claimed that a man dressed as a clown grabbed her throat and said "I should just kill you now..." The victim also stated that he said that "some students and teachers would wish they were never born at the junior and senior high school today." That prompted Reading school superintendent Chuck LaFata to cancel Friday classes in the area, prompting local private school Mount Notre Dame to close as well. Also, a junior high student was arrested after making a clown-related threat using the Internet.

On Sunday, October 2, a total of seven people were arrested in Cincinnati area over clown-related threats. These students were charged with inciting panic for allegedly suggesting a "Clown Clan" descend on their schools. On October 4, a Speedway gas station in Dayton, Ohio was robbed by three individuals, one wearing a surgical mask, one a Guy Fawkes mask and one a clown mask.

In response to the various incidents, the sheriff of Darke County, Ohio, Toby Spencer, posted a challenge to those who might consider pulling a clown prank, that "...as of today we have issued 6,125 (concealed carry) permits in Darke County alone. You might also ask yourself how your luck will be today."

Oklahoma

There have been sightings in Oklahoma City, Moore, McAlester, Tulsa, and Chickasha as well as Miami. During the evening of October 7, 2016, several residents of a Moore, Oklahoma neighborhood confronted two individuals clad in clown attire, warning them of the serious consequences they could face if they persisted in their activities. The two clowns had apparently been loitering at a neighborhood playground, lurking around suspiciously and scaring children. During the confrontation one clown fled, but the other clown stayed for the duration of the lecture, eventually coming to see the truth in what the residents were saying - and removing his clown costume.

On October 16, 2016 just outside the city limits of Pryor, Oklahoma a female motorist was attacked by two clowns after being flagged down by a woman posing as a motorist in need of assistance. The clowns forcibly dragged the motorist from her vehicle, choked her, extinguished a cigarette on her face, and wrote the words "clown posse" on her forehead.

Oregon

A woman reported on September 30 that a clown tried to break into her car near the O'Bryant Square in Portland. A man was arrested in Central Point on October 5 after posting pictures of himself dressed as a clown and trespassing at various local high schools. He was booked into the Jackson County Jail and faces charges of disorderly conduct and second-degree trespassing. On October 6, a 55-year-old man in a clown mask was arrested for menacing at Floyd Light Middle School in Portland. An assistant principal confronted the man, who then allegedly threatened to hurt him. The suspect is facing charges of menacing and disorderly conduct. There has been at least eight "scary clown" sightings, and police responding in some cases, in Douglas County since October 1, 2016.

Pennsylvania

On September 18, 2016, in State College, a clown was seen acting strangely at the parking lot of a YMCA early in the morning. In late September, reports stated that an individual dressed as an angry clown was seen with a knife around the wooded areas behind of Kistler Elementary School. Rumors of a clown threatening the Cumberland Valley school district have also been reported. York College students have reported numerous sightings on and off the campus. Both the Erie Police Department and the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed that in the city of Erie, there has been multiple clown sightings during the month of September.

On October 3, 2016, the Pennsylvania State Police issued a "Community Awareness Bulletin" which specifically addressed the "creepy clown" reports that have been appearing in news and social media around the country. The general tone of the bulletin was cautionary, yet at the same time it reinforced the notion that many of the threats specific to clowns attacking schools had "not been validated". The bulletin also recalls the 1980s clown sightings in various US cities, as well as providing a phone number, email address and information about a smartphone app that citizens can use to report suspicious behavior to authorities. That same day the "Bucks County Courier Times" interviewed Joyce Meder, also known as "Bubbles the Clown" regarding the "creepy clown" phenomenon. Meder is an Abington, PA-based professional clown who provides entertainment for children. Describing herself as a "happy" and "fun" clown, Meder expressed disappointment over the recent clown scare, citing her newfound fears of possible run-ins with law enforcement when she is in public dressed as a clown. Meder goes on to say in the interview that she plans to turn to her colleagues in the professional clown community to "find out how they are being affected and what they're doing about this epidemic".

After an alleged clown sighting at University Park, on October 3, Penn State students gathered together for a "clown hunt". Reports say that the number of students attended this hunt ranged from 500 to 1,000. Following the riot/hunt, the police stated that they did not believe that there were any actual clown sightings, but also stated that there was no property damage, no injury and no violence.

Puerto Rico

At least ten cases of clown sightings were reported in Puerto Rico, including a clown being reported lurking around a Guaynabo home.

On October 12, in Rio Piedras, a trio of clowns robbed a couple on a street. In the following week, a man reported in Rio Piedras that he was robbed at gunpoint by a clown and had his phone and cash stolen.

Rhode Island

On October 4, 2016, the Providence Journal reported that social media threats were made against Tolman High School and Goff Junior High in Pawtucket that prompted rumors of clown sightings. There was also reports of a clown with a machete chasing people out of Slater Park on three separate occasion and that a clown was seen hanging around schools in the same city. A teenage boy was arrested soon after for making threats against schools on social media involving clown masks. In Coventry, elementary school students had to spend their recess indoors after a social media post stated that a clown was going to appear at Hopkins Hill School.

South Carolina

Although sightings were initially reported in South Carolina in mid-August, the phenomenon began to spread north from late August through the end of September.

On August 21, 2016, there was an alleged clown sighting in Greenville at the Fleetwood Manor Apartment complex. Children in the complex reportedly witnessed clowns or a group of clowns attempting to whisper or talk to the children. The children told their parents that the clowns, equipped with “flashing green laser lights”, said they lived in an abandoned house in the woods near a small lake. Greenville police came to the complex to investigate, and did find a trail in the woods leading to a house and a small lake, but no evidence of clowns or clown paraphernalia was found. While some of these reports have been harmless, others reports have been more suspicious. In one instances, a woman reported a person in a clown costume was standing in her backyard and ran away as she took a picture. In one case, an individual had heard clanging chains and a banging noise at his front door. While other cases report a clown offering money or candy to children to follow the clown into the woods.

South Dakota

On October 4, a 19-year-old man in a clown costume was arrested on the campus of South Dakota State University in Brookings for disorderly conduct. He was allegedly scaring students.

Tennessee

On September 19, in Summitville, a 15-year-old boy was cut with a knife by a man in a clown mask.

On September 28, at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, there were reportedly clown sightings on campus.

Texas

On September 30, 2016 clown-themed threats were made against the high school in Temple, Texas.

On October 3, 2016, a clown attacked a person at a housing complex at Texas State University. The victim said the alleged clown tried to grab her before she could pull away. The suspect then left in an unknown direction, according to University police.

A report of a creepy clown on the campus of Texas Tech University was also made to police in Lubbock, Texas on October 3, 2016.

On October 5, 2016, the Tuloso-Midway Independent School District, which has about 4,000 students in its five schools, ordered a lockdown about 9 a.m. Wednesday after a bus driver and a monitor on the bus said they saw a clown sitting inside a vehicle near one of the schools, superintendent Sue Nelson said.

On the morning of October 6, residents reported that a clown was knocking on doors of homes in a Manor neighborhood. An 18-year-old man was arrested, and police found a clown mask that belonged to the suspect. Houston Independent School District schools were placed on lockdown following clown-related threats posted on social media. On October 11, a Gainesville home was broken into by three clown-masked teenagers, and the homeowner was shot in the face and arm with a BB gun. A 13-year-old male and two 14-year-old males were arrested.

Utah

On October 3, 2016, in St. George, Utah, a woman reported to police that while she was walking, someone dressed as a clown had exited a vehicle and chased her, though in followup interviews she clarified that the individual had merely stared at her without saying or doing anything to her. Also on October 3, 2016, near midnight in Provo, Utah, a woman reported to police that someone dressed as a clown ran across her suburban yard.

Vermont

In Williston on October 5, a 15-year-old boy was arrested after being accused of wearing a clown mask and banging the classroom windows of Jean Garvin Youth and Family Services School. He faces charges of disorderly conduct and inducing panic.

Virginia

On September 25, 2016, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office was notified about clown sightings in the 100 block of River Bend Road in Fort Defiance. The call came from a resident who was fishing in the area with his two boys. According to the resident, he was approached by people fleeing the area after spotting several clowns in the nearby woods. As of October 27, 2016, no arrests have been made in this case.

Virginia law prohibits anyone over 16 from wearing a mask to conceal one's identity, which has resulted in uneventful Halloween costume contests at bars and other venues.

Washington

On October 3, several students at Rogers High School in Puyallup received text messages of a clown threatening to kill students at the school. A person reported that a clown was seen wielding a knife near the school campus on the following morning. The school was put on lockdown on October 4, and police found two clown masks in the woods adjacent to the school. Two other Pierce County schools, Emerald Ridge High School and Glacier View Junior High, were closed down on October 4 due to threats. The case is being investigated by both the Pierce County Sheriff's Office and the FBI.

Washington, D.C.

In early October, a 14-year-old girl was arrested for phoning a clown-related threat to McKinley Middle School.

Wisconsin

On August 1, 2016, near the beginning of this spate of evil clown sightings, Wisconsin residents reported seeing Gags The Green Bay Clown. There has been speculation that this clown is related to an independent horror film due to premiere around Halloween.

On October 7, 2016, a Menasha couple dressed up as clowns were arrested for child negligence for leaving their four-year-old child alone at home, while they were outside scaring people.

Wyoming

In early October, creepy clowns were reported by citizens to be walking around mazes in Natrona County.

Canada

The first instance in Canada was reported in early August with few or none until October. During the first week of October, nearly all provinces had reported sightings.

Alberta

On October 5 in Edmonton, Harry Ainlay High School was put into lock down due to clown scare on social media. The following day, other incidents in the city were reported at a Catholic school and junior high schools. As well, two incidents of clown sighting occurred in Fort Saskatchewan, a city direct northeast of Edmonton. Later a 15-year-old youth admitted dressing up as one of the clowns to RCMP in Fort Saskatchewan.

Elsewhere in the province, the Calgary Police Service received messages from several Calgarians regarding images depicting clowns in the city.

British Columbia

On October 5 in Langley, several Stafford Middle School boys were "terrified" when two teenagers wearing clown costumes leaped out from behind bushes and then chased them while they were on their way to school. The incident was reported to the RCMP. On October 6, two teenaged boys were placed under arrest following a threat which caused schools in the Prince George area to be locked down. The teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were arrested at a high school in the area.

Manitoba

In Winnipeg rumors of clown sightings were reported at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate. This prompted St. James-Assiniboia School Division to start an investigation about reports, they concluded that the image was just an accidental image taken of a student in a nearby field.

New Brunswick

Police are investigating several encounters with creepy clowns in New Brunswick communities. A person dressed as a clown was seen trying to jump out in front of cars in Ripples.

Newfoundland and Labrador

A complaint about a 'creepy clown' sighting was received by local authorities, prompting an investigation in Gander, central Newfoundland.

Nova Scotia

In early October, clowns were sighted in Halifax, Hammonds Plains and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Police responded to a clown sighting at Halifax West High School. Clowns in Glace Bay have also interfered with traffic. Police in Clark's Harbour have arrested a 24-year-old man wearing a clown mask. Witnesses reported that he grabbed at the clothing of a young boy.

Nunavut

In the first half of October there were several reports of clowns in the hamlet of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.

Ontario

In early October, clowns were spotted chasing children during dismissal at Pope Francis Catholic School, an elementary school in Toronto. Police detained two 15-year-olds in connection with the incident. It is believed they are former students of the school, and they were filming their activities for a YouTube video. Police have said that the suspects did not touch the students. In addition, the Toronto Catholic District School Board spokesperson John Yan said that a group named "Clowns in the 6" have specifically named different high schools in Toronto as targets for potential clown attacks.

On Thursday, October 6, 2016, Clowns made a message on Instagram saying: "We are coming to London, Ontario's high schools and surrounding areas. We are going to kidnap students and behead teachers, we're not clowning around."

Quebec

On August 9, clowns were reported to have been chasing children in Gatineau, Quebec.

On October 2, a video surfaced of a clown in the middle of a dirt road in Quebec, with a chainsaw that chased after a car on foot.

Mexico

On October 5, residents of Monterrey, Nuevo León made warnings on Facebook that thieves dressing as clowns were present in the area. The Facebook group's alert said that the clowns assaulted passersby, who were walking home.

On the early morning of October 7, several news sources reported that two clowns were found dead in Ecatepec, a suburb of Mexico City, possibly due to being beaten to death by a group of people after the clowns were scaring people. This turned out to be false. The news sites reporting the incident used a photo of two clowns murdered in Guatemala in March 2015.

On October 9, a clown-masked young male was arrested for carrying an axe while walking down a street in Mexicali, Baja California.

United Kingdom

England

Northumbria Police stated that six reports have been made about creepy clown incidents since the beginning of October. Although nobody was attacked during those incidents, some of the reports, involve clowns in Newcastle upon Tyne jumping out of bushes to frighten children with other reports of clowns chasing people. On October 4, a teenage boy in Blakelaw, Newcastle upon Tyne, was placed under arrest as a suspect in a clown-themed "prank". He was allegedly in possession of a "bladed article" and is suspected to have been involved in one of these six incidents.

On 7 October a masked man with a painted face and carrying a knife, jumped out and chased two pupils, aged 11 and 12, who were on their way to Hermitage Academy in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, leaving the two pupils distressed but unhurt. Durham Constabulary said it was investigating the incident. That same night, a man in Plymouth, South West England, was confronted by a clown with a hammer while walking home from a Tesco supermarket. The clown stood in front of the man, blocking his path and then refused to move when asked, before the man chased the clown away. Devon and Cornwall Police were investigating the incident.

A 30-year-old man dressed as a clown was arrested on 9 October, after chasing a woman through Eaton Park in Norwich, East Anglia.

On 10 October a gang of three clowns were spotted in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Kent Police reported there had been 59 clown-related incidents between October 7 and 10. On 11 October a teenage boy was hospitalized for a cut to his head after a clown threw a log at him in an alleyway in Dinnington, South Yorkshire, near Rotherham. South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into the attack.

On 12 October a tradesman in Blackburn, Lancashire apparently tackled a knife-wielding man dressed as a clown and suffered serious hand injuries. The clown was said to have had a green wig and was wearing a "silky green tracksuit with yellow lines down the sleeves, and long, Gothic black boots". It was later revealed to be a hoax - the man had simply fallen on broken glass and fabricated the clown attack. He was prosecuted for wasting the time of Lancashire Police.

That same night, The Times reported, a man in Whitehaven, Cumbria was dressing as Batman, and 'vowing to chase down the creepy clowns... seemingly chas[ed] off a "killer clown"' which had been appearing in the locality.

Over a weekend, in mid-October, the Thames Valley Police were called to fourteen incidents in less than 24 hours.

Scotland

According to Police Scotland, there have been several reports about clowns intimidating the public. A former X Factor contestant claimed to be chased by a “killer clown” in possession of a baseball bat outside a nightclub in Aberdeen. "Killer clowns" are also accused of terrorizing children and disrupting traffic in Dunbar. A woman was frightened on Kinnoull Hill by a masked individual.

Wales

On 5 October a boy filmed a clown scaring passing drivers in Caernarfon.

On 7 October a 10-year-old schoolboy in Tredegar, South Wales was left with a large bruise after a stone was thrown at him by someone dressed in a clown costume. On 8 October two teenage boys were chased by a clown at night near Cardiff. A clown who was seen frightening people in the street in Rhyl, who was stopped by police, was revealed to be a wanted man, and a scary clown was also seen in Merthyr.

On 10 October a girl aged 10 in Bridgend was left scared when four people, wearing clown masks and carrying a 'sledgehammer', approached her in a park. That same night, Chief Inspector Paul Staniforth of Gwent Police said: “We’ve now received 18 reports of people dressed up as clowns throughout Gwent. Some of the reports have included clowns running through gardens and peering through windows, lurking around shopping centres, parks and schools and jumping from trees."

Northern Ireland

On 5 October a number of clowns were spotted in Belfast. There were reports that a school in Coleraine had closed its doors for a short of time because of fears that people dressed as clowns were on their way to the school. On 7 October a clown threatened children with a knife in Riverside Park, Ballymoney, County Antrim. On Instagram an account called 'killerclownsballymoney' said a clown would be “waiting at Ballymoney High school gates at 3:55 and on Mondays it'll be Dalriada at 2:40”. On social media an image appeared of a clown stood outside Cullybackey College in the village of Cullybackey The police have released a video in which they urged people not to participate in the craze and said they faced the possibility of being arrested. On 12 October Holy Trinity College, Cookstown, County Tyrone was locked down after a threat on social media, police officers were deployed to the school and the front gate was closed. UUP politician Trevor Wilson condemned the threat. By mid October 10 children had received NSPCC counselling over fears of the clowns.

Australia

On October 7, several reports of clown sightings were made in Campbelltown, New South Wales. Four images of clown sightings in the city were uploaded onto the internet and one showed a clown being knocked to the ground. In Narellan, a clown was pictured sitting on a roadside electrical box. Since October 7, there have been multiple clown sightings across major Australian cities, which include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth and is still continuously occurring.

At around 9:30pm on October 8, two 12-year-old girls were with one of their fathers buying ice-cream when suddenly they were attacked by a creepy clown in Adelaide's CBD (Central Business District), near the intersection of Pultney Street and Rundle Street. While attacking the girls, the clown tried to steal one of the girls' phone, leaving her "traumatised and shaking".

Germany

On October 15 at 2 a.m. in Wesel, two men reported a man in a clown mask carrying a knife and gun.

On October 21, scary clowns were reported in two northern German towns. One wielding a baseball bat in the city of Rostock attacked a man, leaving him with bruises. Another in the same town threatened a 15-year-old with a knife. In nearby Greifswald, two separate reports involved a clown wielding a chain saw. Two other two incidents in Greifswald involved young children being scared by someone dressed as a clown.

On October 25 a 16-year-old teenager masked as a clown was stabbed with a knife by a 14-year-old in Berlin. The 16-year-old had to undergo surgery.

Croatia

Clown sightings in Croatia begun on October 16 in Osijek, then followed in other cities, like Karlovac and Trilj. Some teenagers allegedly beat a clown in Osijek, and on October 21 the first three clowns were arrested in Karlovac. On October 22 another clown was arrested in Varazdin. Croatian minister of interior affairs Vlaho Orepic said in an interview for RTL TV that Croatian police would deal with that issue, and ensure safety of citizens.

New Zealand

Scary clown sightings have been reported in several New Zealand cities such as in Auckland where a creepy clown was caught on camera at the University of Auckland library.

Dunedin

A man dressed as a clown was arrested in Dunedin for scaring passers-by. Four clowns stood outside a teenager's home, threatening to kill her.

Hamilton

In the first half of October, a woman was attacked by two clowns. In the second half of October, a clown stole a box of beer and handed it to a bicycling accomplice.

Towns and smaller locations

A woman's three sons were playing basketball at Discovery School in Porirua, and one of the sons was approached by a clown. The mother called the police. A police spokesperson urged for the community to be calm. In mid-October 2016, a male wearing a clown mask was a tyre-slashing suspect in Timaru.

Sweden

Since the week starting October 10, clown sightings have been reported in numerous cities: Stockholm, Malmö, Timrå, Ronneby, Linköping, Mjölby and Falun.

On October 13, a woman in Skänninge reported that she was threatened by a pair of clowns armed with knives. The following day, a man in Varberg was injured by a knifeman wearing a clown mask.

In the first week of October 2016, a teenager in Sweden was stabbed in the shoulder by a clown.

By mid-October, Swedish police were reportedly "overwhelmed" as a result of emergency calls due to clown sightings and incidents taking place across the country. On October 13, Swedish Interior Minister, Anders Ygeman, urged Swedes not to join in the clown craze.

Norway

On October 11, in Bodø, two youths wearing clown masks were wielding bats and sticks and scaring people. The two turned themselves into authorities later that night. In Eidsvåg, a clown sighting was reported at a petrol station.

Denmark

Police districts across the country have received 22 reports of clown sightings in total by 17 October 2016.

On 12 October 2016, a man was driving home from a football match when he spotted an axe-wielding clown standing in the middle of the road. The man nearly hit the clown, who was later revealed to be a 13-year-old boy.

On 14 October, a man in Holbæk was followed by a clown. He managed to punch the clown in the face. Police state that both parties now risk persecution.

On 16 October, an older woman from Næstved saw a clown walk around in a football park with an axe. The clown was not caught.

Finland

On October 18, there were two sightings of people dressed as clowns in Tuusula. First, around ten people dressed as clowns jumped out of a grey van at the playyard of school. They started to hunt down three kids who escaped to an underpass, where another clown was waiting with a chainsaw. Later, two adults with white overalls and pig masks were running behind at least one child and scared teenagers. On the evening of 22 October in the Kallio district of Helsinki, two clowns jumped in front of a 30-year-old man, who was jogging with his dog. The dog bit one and the man punched another of the clowns. The clowns escaped. The man made a police report of the incident, and the police did not find the suspects. There have also been sightings of people dressed as clowns in Turku, Luvia, Vaasa, Rovaniemi, Porvoo, Espoo, Vantaa, Nurmijärvi, Kotka, Rauma, Riihimäki, Savonlinna, Oulu, Kerimäki, Pieksämäki and Leppävirta.

Ireland

There have been many reports of incidents regarding clowns but as of yet no arrests have been made. In Drimnagh, Dublin a clown with red balloons was spotted, there have since been numerous sightings of clowns in the capital. On 10 October 2016, organisers of a Halloween haunted house attraction apologised after three people dressed as evil clowns and carrying imitation chainsaws frightened students in the grounds of Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock, Dublin. The clowns were said to be publicising the attraction and unaware that the grounds were private property. The attraction's spokesperson said it was "'in no way linked' to the 'creepy clown' craze sweeping across the UK and US". After the incident police said they are taking the clown craze seriously and reports will be investigated. After the statement it was reported that a clown with an axe broke into a home in County Kildare, and scared a child. There have been reports of clowns jumping out of bushes to scare schoolchildren

Netherlands

On 10 October various incidents were reported of a clown wielding a knife chasing and scaring children in Almere Buiten. The police have started an official investigation to find the person responsible and have publicly requested that they identify themselves and to stop causing public unrest. A clown was sighted in Ruwaard on October 10 and 11

On October 14, a 17-year-old boy was arrested in Roermond, Limburg, for allegedly jumping towards drivers and scaring them.

Spain

In mid-October, a creepy clown was filmed standing near a road in Lleida.

Also, some sightings were reported in Paterna (Valencian Community). The City Council called for calm to the population and issued guidelines for neighbors know how to act.

Brazil

In October, a clown sighting was recorded in Curitiba.

Chile

In October, a clown was filmed walking around with a bat in Rancagua, Cachapoal Province, pursuing the recorder and his group of friends.

The Internet

This phenomenon has spilled over into social media websites. Threats of violence against students, naming particular schools has resulted in large numbers of students not attending class as well as the lockdown, lockout, or cancellation of classes at schools around the country.

In one example, threats of violence and the same image of a clown referred to a minimum of 24 schools in Arizona's Valley's Phoenix Union and Glendale school districts.

On Monday, September 26, around 1,500 of Marydale High School's students (nearly half of all students) did not attend after the first threats appeared on the Internet.

On October 1, schools in Hamburg, Pennsylvania were locked down because of a clown threat on Facebook and Twitter by a group with the name "Aint Clownin Around". The message read "We will be at all High schools this friday to either kidnapp [sic] students or kill teachers going to they cars ...#WeNotClowninAround."

In Philadelphia, threats against students and schools have been posted at social media sites prompting the FBI and a terrorism task force to help police investigate. The exact nature of these threats has not been made public.

Such threats on social media have also affected two grade schools in Alabama, Auburn University, Fairborn High School, Columbus, Ohio, some Las Vegas area schools, and many more around the country.

Possible explanations

Explanations include that some clown sightings are promotional stunts for the upcoming 2017 film adaptation of the Stephen King novel It, which features a shape-shifting demonic entity that takes the form of a clown called Pennywise, or Rob Zombie's horror film 31, which also features characters dressed in clown costumes.

Author and folklorist Benjamin Radford, who wrote the non-fiction book Bad Clowns, said that the craze could be an example of the "snowball effect", where rumor and legitimate concerns mix with the human penchant for a good story.