Clowns are a childhood fear for a lot of kids. They are creepy dressed up people who come and play with kids. Well now it’s no longer a nightmare; it’s reality. People dressed up as clowns are hiding in the woods, cornfields and even near schools and they are now hurting people. People all around the country are taking viral videos of these clowns. People are even making fake videos to make their videos popular and get famous. The clowns can be considered a serious problem by some and others say it is just a joke. Parents are getting scared because Halloween is coming up and parents send their kids out trick or treating. Recently, there have been multiple clown sightings in states, including Virginia along with threats made to schools using fake social media accounts.

The phenomenon started in South Carolina when parents reported seeing clowns trying to lure kids into the woods. In particular, there have been a couple sightings in Chesterfield, Virginia. Some clowns were also spotted in Augusta. The Augusta County police have yet to identify who it was behind the mask but whoever is it, they are facing serious charges. The consequences for hiding your face in public are fairly severe. Wearing a mask or covering your face to hide your identity is illegal.  It’s considered a felony, which means one can face prison time and a fine.

Many people feel unsettled due to these sightings. “It is horrifying and it needs to stop now,” said Ethan Grace. “I think they’re just doing it for attention and the threats probably aren’t even real,” said Gabriel Binning.

Most of the clown sightings have been in neighborhoods, especially apartment complexes. There were two teens chasing around children in a neighborhood. The two teens were arrested for hiding their faces in masks and concealing their identity.

Regarding the question of going out at night, many thought there was not real harm. “I think they don’t really mean to harm anyone but just want to get attention,” said Gabriel Binning.

“It’s ridiculous that this is happening for no reason and I’m not afraid to go outside because they’re just clowns trying to get attention,” said Jieun Jeon.

This news exploded on social media, making it an overnight sensation and a huge topic of conversation. Soon there were hundreds of videos all over social media on things like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The biggest question is, why do these clowns do what they do? “They do this to get notoriety and to become popular” said Derek Haynie. “They’re crazy,” said Collin McCranie.

Some parents are afraid to even send their kids out to the bus stops by themselves because they’re worried of what the clowns are capable of doing to their kids due to what has been happening recently. Many of the threats don’t seem legitimate because the information given is not consistent so it is most likely a prank. Most people seem to think that the “killer clowns” are nothing more than just a joke. Regardless, people should be a little more cautious this Halloween season- all jokes aside.