When you think of clowns, what comes to mind? Smiley circus clowns? Scary creepy clowns? Or do you think of something else entirely?

Clowns have been popping up all over the US recently, terrifying a lot of people. The first case, according to The Guardian’s article “Clown Sightings: the Day the Craze Began” was in Greenville, South Carolina, when a little boy saw two clowns near the woods. The Guardian quotes his mom, Donna Arnold, “‘They were trying to lure him to the house.’” In the woods, there was a dilapidated, boarded up house that looked like it had been abandoned for a long time.

More and more people reported seeing these costumed figures, and the creepy clown phenomenon has spread throughout the Lower 48. Clown sightings are rapidly increasing making some people scared to do outdoor activities alone. According to International Business Times, the clown trend really caught on in late August.

Clowns have been reported robbing, chasing (with and without knives), intimidating, and assaulting people. Also, threats on social media have occurred.

Some schools have been threatened over social media. According to an article posted by CNN wire, Westwood High School in Houston, TX, has been the target of a threat on Facebook; the police were called and the threat was not deemed credible. A letter about the incident was sent by the principal to all the parents. As a precaution, more police have been assigned to patrol near the school.

According to ADN’s article “Rumors of Creepy Clowns In Anchorage are Unconfirmed, Police Say”, there are some photos and videos circulating on social media. ADN interviewed Oisted, the police department spokesperson; he said “‘Either it didn’t happen or nobody called police” when he was asked about the potential sightings of clowns. ADN’s article mentions the only clown that anyone called about in the Anchorage area was a clown on a bicycle refusing to move from traffic. However, when police arrived, the clown was gone.

Law enforcement officials are looking into some so-called crimes around the US. Advice to the public is to stay calm and not participate in the naughtiness of the clowns, and as Halloween approaches, people need to make their costume choices wisely.