Serious or just a sick joke? What we know about creepy clown reports

Reports of clowns haunting more than ten states have people on edge. And, the reports keep coming.

Recently, a Philadelphia school district reported that police were investigating threats made by creepy clowns on social media. Likewise, the Spring Independent School District in Texas issued a security statement overnight due to new clown threat hoaxes made online.

Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, closed on Friday because a woman reported being attacked bya male dressed as a clown. Another woman, who reported being attacked by a clown early Saturday, was later arrested after police confirmed that she lied about being attacked by a knife-wielding person dressed as a clown.

The phenomenon has even managed to get the attention of the White House, where Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked about the recent rash of creepy clown arrests on Tuesday.

“I don't know that the president has been briefed on this particular situation,” Earnest said. “Obviously, this is a situation that local law enforcement authorities take quite seriously and they should carefully and thoroughly review, you know, perceived threats to the safety of the community and they should do so prudently.”

So, is the creepy clown epidemic serious or just a sick joke? Police are investigating a host of reports, and have made some arrests. Here's what we know:

Wisconsin

In West Bend, a call to police from the father of a Badger Middle School student, alarmed about a message the student received from a self-identified clown, led to a 12-year-old girl being taken into custody. So far, police say no reports from the Milwaukee area have been substantiated.

On Aug. 1, reports of Gags – The Green Bay Clown disturbed Wisconsin residents. Later, the man who set up a Facebook account which fueled conversation about Gags sightings came forward, saying it is all part of an independent horror film coming out around Halloween.

South Carolina

Reports of clowns terrorizing people in South Carolina started in mid-August. One woman reported seeing a middle-aged white man in clown-like facial makeup and red hair standing outside the laundromat. The woman told police the clown stared at her as she walked out, but didn't speak or follow her.

In another report, children reported clowns were trying to lure them into woods with money. Residents of the Fleetwood Manor Apartments in Greenville, S.C., reportedly received letters from property management encouraging them to abide by the apartment’s 10 p.m. curfew, and not to let their children walk alone at night.

"Obviously, this is the type of claim that we need to take serious whether it's valid or not," said Master Deputy Ryan Flood with the Greenville County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies have not received any recent reports or arrested anyone.

North Carolina

Sept. 4, children reported a clown was trying to lure them into the woods in a Winston-Salem neighborhood. According to two kids, the man had on white overalls, white gloves, red shoes with red bushy hair, a white face, and a red nose. They told police he offered them treats if they would come into the woods. Police said an adult heard the man, but did not see him.

A few days later, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous call that a clown was outside of an elementary school, but it turned out that report was false.

Georgia

LaGrange Police in Georgia said it had received several calls about clowns “in wooded areas trying to talk to children."

At one point, a middle school was under a “soft lock down” because of creepy clown reports, Deb Myers with the Troup County School System told LaGrange Daily News.

Georgia police arrested two people Sept. 14 for calling 911 and allegedly making false claims about clowns trying to lure children into a van. Officials didn't find any clowns.

Alabama

A 10-year-old found responsible for making "clown threats" to Montgomery Public Schools in Alabama was arrested Sept. 21. Earlier that week, police arrested two high school students behind a since-deleted Facebook account named ClappyAndslappy DaClown, which released a 5-minute video threatening violence against Troy residents.

Additionally, police are looking for the person(s) responsible for a Facebook page, which has since been deleted, under the name Bingerman Clownferd. The social site threatened to visit Montgomery schools and beat students.

Mississippi 

A clown call made Sept. 21 in Tchula, Miss., turned out to be true. Police Chief Kenneth Hampton said he saw someone wearing a mask, a multi-colored wig and overalls around 11 p.m. on Wednesday. The person, who was carrying what looked like a machete, ran away after seeing the patrol vehicle. The person in the clown outfit has not been seen since.

Maryland

The Salisbury Police Department of Maryland recently investigated two reports of clown sightings. Callers said they saw three people dressed as clowns hiding in bushes and jumping out to scare people on Sept. 25. All three were reported to be wearing clown masks with orange and blue hair. Officers weren't able to locate any clowns.

Virginia

The Augusta County Sheriff's Office has received numerous calls regarding clown sightings in Fort Defiance, Va. One report said several people were dressed as clowns in a woodland area. According to Virginia Code Section 18.2-422, a person over the age of 16 is prohibited from wearing a mask, hood or other device to cover or conceal the identity of the wearer. A violation of this code section is a Class 6 felony, which is punishable by one to five years of incarceration and a fine of not more than $2,500, according to a release. Either or both may apply if convicted of this offense, Sheriff Donald Smith said.

Pennsylvania

The most horrific clown report came from a Reading, Pa., neighborhood where a 16-year-old wearing a clown mask pushed up onto his head was fatally stabbed, according to AP. Previous reports were unclear about who was wearing the mask.

This week, students at York College in southern Pennsylvania reported seeing people dressed as clowns, both on campus and off. Campus safety responded to eight different reports since Sept. 24. One anonymous tip reported on Sept. 26 that there was a car full of clowns possibly armed with weapons. Officials didn't find any clowns.

In Pottsville, police were investigating after clowns were seen yelling at children. A girl told a TV station that a clown had chased her and her friends and later threw a broken stick at them from the woods.

On Oct. 2, Philadelphia school district officials and police announced they were investigating creepy clown threats made against local schools on social media.

“The safety of our children and the communities surrounding our schools is a top priority for us and we are taking this matter seriously,” officials said in a statement released over the weekend.

Ohio

Colerain Police Department in Cincinnati, Ohio, arrested a juvenile Sept. 29 in connection with clown threats to harm students at Colerain High School.

Reading schools are closed Friday after a woman reported being attacked by a male dressed as a clown. The woman told police that the attacker made a threat against students. No arrests have been made in the attack and schools were closed out of concern for of students that walk to school early, according to the Reading Community City School District.

Around 2 a.m. Sept. 27, a woman called police in Lancaster, Ohio, saying she saw someone dressed as a clown holding a large kitchen knife. Police talked with witnesses at the scene who said they saw two people dressed as clowns: one in a gold suit with balloon and another in all black. Officers checked, but were unable to locate the clowns.

Tennessee 

Two suspects, one wearing a clown mask, carried explosives into a Memphis bank Sept. 28. The pair stole an unknown amount of money and fled in a black sedan. Memphis police are searching for them.

Two south Nashville Metro Schools went under a soft lockdown following a social media threat reportedly involving a clown, according to information from school officials and a Metro-Nashville dispatcher. Authorities said the threats weren't credible.

Missouri

A Facebook post threatening to kidnap students and kill teachers caused several mid-Missouri schools to go on lockdown Sept. 30, ABC 17 News KMIZ reports.