killer clowns

The Comeback Of Killer Clowns

  
      

In 2016, there were numerous arrests throughout the U.S. in response to the horrifying clowns who caused a frenzy as they terrified people by chasing them or confronting them in parking lots. However, killer clowns were not exclusive to the U.S., in fact, nightmarish clowns were being seen in countries all over the world: These countries included The United Kingdom, Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Finland and Canada.

Clowns – From My Perspective

Cooky and Bozo

Okay, if the truth be told, I had no problem with clowns. I mean, I grew up watching Bozo’s Circus. I loved Cooky the Clown (even though he was always the butt of the joke); however, I did find Wizzo the Wizard quite creepy as he would grab his necklace and began chanting “doo-dee-doo-dee-doo-dee-doo.”

However, my mother has never been a fan of clowns: So much so, that when I wanted to host a Halloween Party themed around ‘evil’ clowns, she made it clear that she would not be attending. Needless to say, the idea was trashed…Anyway, all of that happened before the ‘killer clowns’ started making appearances around the country. Although killer clown sightings have ceased, police are concerned that they may resume now that the fall season is upon us.

Where the Killer Clown Craze Began

evil clown

In mid-August of 2016, a group of children in South Carolina spoke of clowns trying to lure them into an abandoned home in the woods by offering them money. At the time, police were unsure as to whether the sightings were genuine or just a figment of their imagination: However, it really did not matter as the sightings of creepy clowns intensified across the nation and around the globe.

Are Killer Clowns About to Make a Comeback?

The remake of Stephen King’s ‘IT’ has police in Pennsylvania concerned that there will be a resurgence of killer clown sightings: The movie tells the story of a demon who decides to take the shape of a clown. To raise awareness, the police issued a community bulletin stating that they do expect there to be killer clown sightings once again.

Besides Stephen King’s movie, the upcoming season of American Horror Story (AHS) “Cult” brings with it a resurgence of killer clowns, even if they are only in the imagination of the lead character, Ally Mayfair-Richards. However, the ever-so-creepy Twisty the clown has been resurrected and is returning to AHS this season.


What’s the Big Deal?

Last year, sightings of creepy clowns caused panic in numerous areas throughout the nation and the world. As clowns threatened neighborhoods, schools and children, America’s police departments were on the lookout for individuals contributing to the terror. Therefore, in the U.S., dozens of people who were causing the clown hysteria were arrested.

Some examples of the ‘jokes and pranks:’

bloody mask

  • Following a Facebook post and tweet stating: “We will be at all high schools this Friday to either kidnap students or kill teachers going to they cars…#WeNotClowninAround, ” terror hit many of the school districts in New Jersey’s Gloucester County.
  • In Phillipsburg, clowns were sighted on four separate occasions over a period of two days. One incident involved a sword-bearing clown chasing a child and in another incident, cars that were full of clowns toured the streets of Phillipsburg.
  • Some Howard County elementary schools’ concerns over online rumors and eerie reports led to a ban of clown costumes: Children were not permitted to wear clown costumes to fall festivals or Halloween celebrations.
  • Last year, a school in Merseyside, North West England, was locked down after a man wearing a clown mask and carrying a kitchen knife was sighted nearby. Schools in the states of Alabama and Ohio were also locked down due to clown sightings.

Pennsylvania State Police Publicly Discourage ‘Clown Hunting’

Clown sightings, threats and fear grew to such a point that officers felt the need to discourage ‘clown hunting:’ The department encouraged individuals to contact the police station and allow them to handle the situation.

When a Prank Goes Awry

One example of a prank gone wrong occurred when 17-year-old Michael March decided to scare a pregnant woman, who, in turn, threw a brick at him. March told the South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court that his prank was just a Halloween joke.

Last September, in Reading, Pennsylvania, after an individual wearing a clown mask appeared, a fight broke out. When all was said and done, a 16-year-old had been stabbed to death.

Final Thoughts

These creepy clowns may seem funny to some; however, the victims themselves are definitely not laughing. Think about the times you have visited your local haunted house: Even though you enter the house fully aware that the experiences within are meant to frighten you, you still have moments of fear. Now, imagine that you are not choosing this experience and instead, it is sprung on you, such as in the instances of these killer clown sightings. One can only imagine that the fear would be intensified and the individual would do whatever is necessary to protect himself or herself. Therefore, if you decide to contribute to the creepy clown craze, keep in mind that people who are truly afraid may cause you harm. Furthermore, just in case you are arrested, have some money saved so you can bail yourself out.


Sources:

https://patch.com/maryland/annapolis/creepy-clowns-making-comeback-maryland

http://heavy.com/news/2016/10/clown-arrests-list-how-many-creepy-threatening-clowns-arrested-photos-names-suspects-charges-cities-states-which-were-real-fake-sightings

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/stephen-kings-it/254821/stephen-kings-it-remake-trailer-cast-release-date-and-more-news

http://www.abc57.com/news/non-credible-clown-threat-still-prompts-school-district-to-increase-security

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4376408/us-cops-warn-of-killer-clown-return-this-month-in-anticipation-of-it-film-release-that-tells-story-of-demon-jester

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/09/are_creepy_killer_clowns_coming_back_police_admit.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bozo_Show

http://www.nj.com/warren/index.ssf/2016/09/more_suspicious_clowns_reported_what_to_do_if_you.html#incart_m-rpt-2

Killer Clown Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3vrb7ZHeT8