‘Creepy Clown’ Sightings Spread to More Cities

Sightings of alleged “creepy clowns” luring children into the woods have spread across multiple cities. Several weeks ago, clowns offering children money to come into the woods were reportedly spotted in South Carolina’s Greenville County, shortly followed by an ominous sighting of a clown under a local streetlight. This week, multiple such sightings spread to Winston-Salem—where at least three clowns were spotted up to no good; and to Greensboro, where a man reportedly used a machete to chase away a person dressed as a clown. As the stories continue to pop up, both police officers and professional clowns are unamused, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. “What if they were wearing hospital scrubs, lab coats and a stethoscope around their neck. Would the news report that doctors were hiding in the woods trying to lure kids with candy?” asked professional clown Sir Toony Van Dukes, who said the media has given outsized coverage to the local stories. “It’s illegal. It’s dangerous. It’s inappropriate, and it’s creating community concern so it needs to stop,” added the police chief of Greensville, South Carolina.