by Sammy Benbow
It’s becoming quite a trend across America. Clown sightings have become a national threat, starting in the midwest, and quickly working their ways to all corners of the country, including parts of San Diego. The clown sightings seem to be influenced by “copy cats,” who are more than likely trying to gain Twitter and local news fame, by dressing up as clowns and terrorizing people in dark alleys and abandoned neighborhoods. While some of the sightings are obviously fake, a handful are actually real, of people legitimately taking “Clowning” to another level. One of the earlier sightings was located in Agawam, Massachusetts, which included a man dressed up as a clown, holding balloons, and a sign that read “Free Hugs”. The man soon ran after the person recording, and almost caught them. Unfortunately, the clown panic did not stop there. One incident in a suburban neighborhood of Ohio included a middle school girl who messaged a “Clown” on social media, hoping that the clown could “kill one of the teachers at my school.” Clearly, clowning has become more of just silly pranksters trying to scare their friends before Halloween.
As a result of these excessive sightings and experiences, law enforcement all over the nation has been cracking down, increasing security at local schools and near wooded areas, which have been shown to be a hotbed for clowns trying to lure away small children. The main questions brought up by these sightings have been, are these clowns actual predators, or are they just people trying to give others a little scare? Unfortunately, we can’t really know, so we have to be on alert for any kind of clown that is seen in public. If your looking to avoid these creepy clowns, a good place to look may be social media. Many of these “Clowns” have been soliciting where they will head out next, which may not be the smartest idea. For example, just hours after saying his location, “Chuckles the Clown” was effectively chased by thousands of Penn State students, which is now being dubbed the “Penn State Clown Riot.” Since then, multiple riots have broken out, most notably at Indiana University, as well as Central Michigan University. At least the public is fighting back and not taking it, right?
These clown sightings have been frustrating to those known as “Professional Clowns,” or those who dedicate their lives to entertaining young children. Now, with this recent outbreak, families are reluctant to hire clowns for their kids’ birthday parties. Due to this general fear, in turn it has sparked these clowns to speak out about their own experiences, having to overcome this, which includes donning signs across America saying “Clown Lives Matter.” All in all, these sightings are nothing more than a recent trend, likely to die down in a big way after Halloween. Nevertheless, stay safe.