Clown hoaxes force police to check pranks for real threats

The reports whether real or false “can cause major disruptions leading to schools, businesses and neighborhoods being placed into lockdown unnecessarily”, authorities added. “My favorite is when you’re sitting in the auto and they’re a captive audience, then you can bring up the topic and say, ‘You know, right now, this is going around”.

Jordan Jones, a professional who performs as Snuggles the Clown, said: “Everyone took this as a joke but it’s really become serious now and I just want all these teenagers to know that it’s not a game anymore”.

“In addition to the general fear that this clown business can cause, there is a cost”, officers said.

Lt. Castorena with SISD Police Services they’re even considering enforcing curfew violations due to the number of people going out at night in search of the clowns.

“What I think we’ve seen now with social media that things can get out of hand pretty quickly”, Shaw said, speaking live on WWJ Newsradio 950. “A college kid who just wants to scare people would”.

If you have children you’ve probably heard about the recent creepy clown craze.

The school has not received any reports of students bringing weapons to school to protect themselves against clowns, said district public relations specialist Matthew Cannata.

A woman told police that her son had “seen clowns in the woods whispering and making odd noises”, CBS News reported.

Police at the Fontana Unified School District arrested a 14-year-old student.

Police are also investigating after a photo posted on social media appeared to show a clown standing on a sidewalk outside a Halifax high school, the Canadian Press reported Tuesday. A number of arrests have been made in connection with these clown sightings, including in West Virginia where police say a man was charged after allegedly chasing children with a baseball bat while wearing a clown mask.

“There were NO threats made in the post”, police said on Nixle.

Superintendent of Schools Nancy Sarra sent out an official call to parents Thursday indicating that the schools are safe and the threats are being taken seriously.

“There is no question that whoever is promulgating this is making threats”, Harries said.