Alabama School Locked Down After Threat of Clowns Showing Up

Flomaton, Alabama police have taken one adult and two juveniles into custody in connection with a threat that put four local schools under lockdown, and they may be able to link the trio to some of the other malicious clown activity that has frightened communities over the last few weeks.

James Lewis, a school resource officer with Irondale Police, was alerted to the messages by a student at Shades Valley High School although he said there ‘was no threat’.

Smith and the juvenile put the small town high school on lockdown for several hours on Thursday, with over 30 officers and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents at the school grounds.

Lewis says authorities spoke with the student who reported the Facebook posts, which have since been removed.

Anniston Middle School was on a “soft lockdown” for about 10 minutes, Anniston Superintendent Darren Douthitt said by phone Monday.

Similar incidents have been reported throughout Alabama and across the southeast. To this point, no one has been arrested for dressing up in a clown costume, but multiple arrests have been made as a result of people filing false police reports.

It is the latest in a series of cases in several U.S. states of people dressed as clowns allegedly threatening children and young people.

Previous reports of creepy clowns in Georgia, North Carolina and SC also caused a stir nationally, particularly because some of the reports described the clowns as attempting to lure children into the woods with candy.

After a person posing as a clown threatened Montgomery schools on social media this weekend, Montgomery law enforcement officials are working to find the person behind the mask.

On September 4th, two children said they saw the clown trying to lure kids into the woods in a Winston-Salem with treats. “Part of the problem is the fact this stuff gets on social media and it explodes and it alarms people and it just spreads, ” he said. “In today’s climate, we’re better safe than sorry”.

Officials have not released information regarding how Smith may be tied to the Facebook page or what charges she might face.