USA TODAY -- Reports of clowns haunting more than ten states have people on edge. And, the reports keep coming.
Just this week, two clown-masked men were asked to leave a St. James grocery store, four elementary-aged students made a false report about seeing a clown near campus after seeing other clown sightings on the internet.
Yesterday, someone reported seeing a car full of clowns, possibly armed, driving through a Pennsylvania college campus.
So, is the creepy clown epidemic serious or just a sick joke? Police are investigating a host of reports from South Carolina to Georgia, but haven't arrested any clown criminals — yet. Here's what we know:
Wisconsin
On Aug. 1, reports of Gags – The Green Bay Clown disturbed Wisconsin residents. Later, the man who set up a Facebook account, which fueled conversations 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.
Sept. 20, a Facebook page was created (it has since been taken down) fueling fears in Georgia. The page said clowns would be driving to local elementary, middle and high schools to abduct children. LaGrange police department obtained warrants and arrested four people they believe are responsible for the threats.
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.
Florida
A woman reported seeing two clowns last weekend near Victoria Park, Fla. She said the clowns were staring at her. It's unclear if they were trying to scare or harm her, but police issued an alert to surrounding agencies and searched the wooded areas and railroad tracks near U.S. 1. The clowns were not located.
“The problem is that someone dressed like a clown could scare someone and there’s a possibility, a possibility you could end up with someone getting shot,” said Lt. Mike Bandish of the Palm Bay Police Department. “A person could think that they’re about to get robbed."
Pennsylvania
This week, students at York College in southern Pennsylvania reported seeing people dressed as clowns, both on campus and off. One anonymous tip reported on Monday 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.
Ohio
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 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.
