POTTSVILLE -- Clowns reportedly harassed some children in Pottsville Monday night, according to the police chief. Children in neighboring areas say they've seen them, too.
Now parents want to know, is this a threat or is someone just clowning around?
“The little boy ran up that way, screaming there were clowns, eating something in the woods,” said 12-year-old Brianne Hawke as she described a very bizarre encounter she and her friends had Monday night in Pottsville.
They were up by the Greenwood Hill Playground when they say a clown began harassing them.
“A clown started chasing us up here and turned around and went back to the woods. So we thought it was gone, turned around, broke a stick and threw it at us and started calling us, cursing at us, it was scary,” said Brianne. “Yes, a clown did this.”
The Pottsville police chief says that two men reportedly dressed as clowns were seen in the Greenwood Hill neighborhood around 7 p.m., yelling at children before they took off in a vehicle.
However, the chief says no violence or threats were mentioned in that report.
Now, it seems everyone is going a little clown crazy.
“I heard that they're going around town, scaring kids,” said 15-year-old Kevin Devine. “I heard they scared kids from their bus stop.”
“One lady who lives over there told us that there was clowns in the neighborhood right before we came down yesterday so we were just being careful,” said 15-year-old Nashon Key.
But clown sightings are being reported in neighboring areas as well.
The Frackville Police Department posted pictures of clowns on its website, warning residents that four subjects have been seen wandering in the borough, dressed as clowns, but the post has since been taken down.
“That's what everyone's talking about. They're talking about a clown hunt in school everywhere,” said Gabe Saldek of Mahanoy City.
Gabe’s school district in Mahanoy City abruptly cancelled all afternoon activities. No reason was given, but Gabe has an idea.
“We just figured they would cancel because on Facebook they said there was killer clowns around here that were killing people,” said Gabe.
That prompted the Mahanoy City Police to post on its Facebook page:
“To clear up the rumour mill, clowns are not the reason school activities were canceled this evening, there is an ongoing police incident that is active right now outside of the borough and township.”
Regardless, parents are not amused with this clowning around business.
“I don't think it's funny. It's not funny at all, you know whether or not it's a joke or if it's serious, but still why?” said Michelle Kalbach of Pottsville.
