At the end of September and into the beginning of October, there were rumors about clowns chasing and snatching up kids in the United States. Pinellas County, like many other places in America, had big problems with these clowns.

Janae Bellamy, a student at Largo High School, was a victim of one of the many clown incidents that have occurred across America. Bellamy and her friends were chased by clowns that were hiding in the bushes one morning when they were on the way to their bus stop. One of the clowns even tried to grab them.

“This is not funny anymore. This is getting out of hand, and there’s no one doing anything about it. The clowns may think it’s fun and games, but it’s not—it’s scary,” Shekita Bellamy said.

The clowns have made accounts on Facebook and Instagram. They have sent out threats telling people that they’re going to come and attack them. In addition, they have threatened people saying that if they don’t do what the clowns say, they will die. The family members of the person being threatened has also been put at risk in these types of situations.

Da’Vion Hall was inboxed on Facebook by a clown. She was told that if she doesn’t become friends with the clown and meet up with them, then they would target her sisters. She immediately told her mom. Her mom said that if the clowns contact them again, she will meet with the police officers.

When asking people how they feel about the clowns, about 5% said that the clowns were cool and that there should be more. About 9% said they didn’t really know or see clowns around. Approximately 45% said they were scared of the clowns and that someone needs to do something about the situation.

“I didn’t know that the clowns were in Palm Harbor, and I was walking to my bus stop every morning. Now I’m scared to walk home after school,” Klara Goone, a student at PHUHS, said. “I’m going to have my dad take me and my friends to the bus stop and sit there with us till the bus comes. I’m going to have him pick us up when the bus drop us off after school.”

This clown situation has gotten out of control and is still a growing issue; it’s threatening the safety of America. Although this trend may just be an elaborate Halloween prank, the lives of civilians are being disrupted. This is something that needs to be stopped, whether by police or the will of the perpetrators.