Reports of Creepy Clowns Are Spreading Across the United States
Residents claim that some have tried to lure children into dark areas with money.
Our worst fears became reality when a creepy clown recently began terrorizing kids near a South Carolina apartment complex. In the city of Greenville, local news outlets reported, at least one person dressed as a clown was attempting to lure children (some say with cash) into the woods. That was back in August — and since then, the epidemic of creepy clown sightings has only spread.
If you've been keeping an eye on the news, you've probably heard one of the stories about reports of clowns stalking or terrorizing residents in no less than seven states. First it was South Carolina, then it was North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia and, most recently, Alabama. (Clowns have reportedly been spotted in Kentucky and Maryland as well, but the Kentucky sighting was only posted about on Facebook and not reported to police, and the Maryland sighting was quickly determined to be a hoax.)
According to a recent article from the Washington Post, some of these clowns have reportedly attempted to lure children into dark, wooded areas or suspicious vehicles, while others have sinisterly watched or waved at residents from afar. Others still have supposedly created social media accounts, via which they're sending threatening messages to schools. As a result of these clowns' supposed antics, countless police officers have been dispatched, and several schools have gone into lockdown.
The stories are undoubtedly eerie, and if you live in any of the areas where these sinister figures have been spotted, you might want to keep a watchful eye out. With that said, however, police departments across the country are finding that at least some of these reports might actually be elaborate hoaxes. As the Post reports, investigators have yet to find physical, non-testimonial evidence that these creepy clowns actually exist — and in those cases where they have found evidence, the clowns have exposed themselves as pranksters or promoters for scary movies or other projects. Even the clown in this terrifying viral video was ultimately exposed as more fraud than frightening:The regular calls and reports of creepy clowns across the country have certainly become a time-consuming chore for the police. Law enforcement officers have to treat the calls and reports seriously (it's their job to do so, after all), but when any given case is exposed as a hoax or prank, they end up having wasted their time, effort and resources, which could have been allocated to far more serious — and legitimate — investigations. Unamused police officers have even started making arrests, prosecuting those who knowingly obstructed the law with false 911 calls and reports.
Ultimately, the creepy clown cases have yet to be resolved. Until they are, it's not a bad idea to keep your eyes peeled for a threatening person dressed in clown's clothing — but be wary of making (or perpetuating) false reports. Your local police department will thank you.
[h/t Washington Post]