OCTOBER 1-​ A little boy was the first to come across not one, but two of these infamous terroristic clowns. He claims they were whispering, trying to lure him into the woods. The child didn’t see any weapons, so their intentions are unknown. However, from the evidence gathered after other reported sightings, it seems the clowns’ sinister goal is simply for people to be scared silly.

 

Social media is juggling the emotions of Americans. Emily Graves, a 5th grader at UME, comments on the news, saying, “I feel like it’s ruining Halloween because it’s fun to dress up and go trick-or-treating, but now it’s more dangerous.” Of course, these are feelings shared by children and parents all over the U.S. As Halloween is coming up, many parents may be second-guessing letting their children participate in trick-or-treating. No Halloween threats have been made yet, but as it is October, they’re anticipated.

 

So is it a hoax? Well, at first it didn’t seem to be a jest, but nothing serious has happened. Senior Hannah Minnich has a good point. She said, “I don't buy that there's a group of organized interstate clown killers who are always suspiciously spotted by snapchatters and the like.” As it started on October 1st, it seems that these clowns would knock it off after Halloween, but no one can say for sure.

 

While this clown epidemic is terrifying adults and children alike, no real reports of death are evident. Arrests have been made, even children, who, whether clowning around or not, make threats to terrorize schools. Countless school districts have shut down in fear of attack. Considering cops have found no evidence other than the reports. It’s as if these clowns are playing a vanishing act!

 

Hannah Minnich, mentioned above, also points out “Back even since the sixties students have issued bomb threats and such as a cheap joke or as a way to get the school day cancelled. It's the same with the clowns!

 

The clown debacle will end in a matter of time, as soon as the empty school threats are proven to be just that, empty.” The plans of these clowns are masked, and only when it ends will the nation be able to settle down. For now, we must try to maintain sanity in this balancing act. 10/21/16