What began as a hoax on social media from unknown origins has quickly become quite real and fear-inducing; clowns are popping up in towns across the country, sending this once fearless nation into the fetal position.
In early October, North Central College Campus Safety released an email alert to its entire student body, informing them of the situation as well as providing helpful tips on avoiding clown interaction and maintaining personal safety.
From the email, and numerous accounts reported throughout the weeks, these clowns tend to appear at night. The “clown” association comes from the style of mask worn by these individuals, as well as the menacing, high-pitched laughter they exude when attempting to intimidate or frighten witnesses.
While not all incidences have included or resulted in violence, one sighting mentioned in the email reported the clown to be holding a large knife known as a machete. Because of this, the college is recommending that no person engage with a clown, regardless of the circumstances. This warning extends to and includes clowns traveling in a circus; with such serious a threat, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
As fate would have it, these clowns have begun appearing in the month of October, famous for its concluding holiday, Halloween. Given the unusually coincidental timing of this new terror, the college is urging anyone who spots suspicious individuals or activities, to report them immediately to campus safety or the Naperville police. This could be anything, from stalking to face-painting, weapon-wielding to balloon animals — if you feel endangered, report it at once.
It is a sad day, when something so beloved as a clown could turn into so evil a presence, but such a day has come. It is the belief of this writer, and this news staff, that while today we may fear the clowns, someday we may come to love them again. For now, report suspicious clown activity, stay alert, and be safe. Happy Halloween!
