ME author Stephen King weighed in on the creepy clown sightings on Twitter.
Advertisement
Multiple pages devoted to reported clown sightings and threats have popped up on social media.
The University of Arizona Police Department says they’ve wasted resources pursuing these claims.
The photo circulated across social media, leading concerned individuals to flood the police department, the school and School District 25 with phone calls. The New York Times reports children and adults at an apartment complex said clusters of clowns would try and lure them into the woods, going as far to allegedly offer them money for a trip into the trees.
Deputies are recommending, in light of the threats and concerns, that people steer away from creepy clown costumes this Halloween. We’re tracking them. We’re tracing them.
The list then advises students on what not to do when spotting creepy clowns around campus, noting that “since wearing a costume is not a crime, any physical attack or harassment on such person could be a crime”.
Columbiana Police Chief, Tim Gladis, says “I think people are just trying to have fun with it”. Police ask that suspicious activity involving “clowning” be reported to the department at 815-748-8400 or 911 for emergencies. There were also no clowns sighted, except for one image projected onto the side of an apartment building.
Clowns have been the subject of misinterpretations for years but Monday said this trend is different.
They should also be discouraged from and made aware of the seriousness of posting any type of internet post that could be construed as a threat. Police, parents, and especially children are on high alert.
At Greenwood Elementary in Waukegan, kids told police three people in clown masks taunted them over a fence during recess. The incident was recorded and later posted on social media.
The event gives attendees the opportunity to dress up and wear clown makeup and masks in order to show that not all clowns are violent.
Advertisement
It’s happening Saturday Oct. 15 on Fourth Avenue, and will start in the Maloney’s parking lot at 6:30 p.m.
