Bozos, beware! In the wake of scary clown sightings across America, Twitter has fought back with a pointed hashtag — #IfISeeAClown — which has inspired a slew of popular posts.
As previously reported, horrifying It-like characters have been popping up everywhere from Kansas to Florida. (Watch a supercut of local news spots from across the country on the creepy phenomenon!) From funny memes to clever comments, Us Weekly rounded up some of the best responses to all of the red-nosed villains terrorizing the country.
me online vs me irl #IfISeeAClown pic.twitter.com/CW2AXk3o17
— erin (@erincass99) October 3, 2016
#IfISeeAClown
News: “Local Clown Sighting”
Me: pic.twitter.com/ew0m4RR53s— Hannah Trujillo ?? (@HannahHKT) October 3, 2016
#IfISeeAClown, I would follow my Bernie Mac instincts! pic.twitter.com/ISilbXUeKi
— Ellis Mbeh (@EllisMbeh) October 3, 2016
#IfISeeAClown my reaction will be situational… pic.twitter.com/q64RWJVsDv
— Ecklebob Chiselfritz (@RotNScoundrel) October 3, 2016
https://twitter.com/thomasklm/status/782889999012331520
#IfISeeAClown I’ll be prepared. pic.twitter.com/HluyIHeD9a
— ?StevenEveral? (@StevenEveral) October 3, 2016
#IfISeeAClown they gonna catch these hands. pic.twitter.com/NDck1JTDBw
— CAMPOCALYSPÉ???. (@Cam_Anders0n) October 3, 2016
#ifISeeAClown I’m about to be Brenda when she sees the girl from the Ring pic.twitter.com/Od7Gy1Bmol
— Kelly x (@xcxKelly) October 3, 2016
clown spotting near my school? nahHH #meangirls #IfISeeAClown pic.twitter.com/7fzeRg4uRq
— jaay (@promiseclayton) October 3, 2016
me #IfISeeAClown pic.twitter.com/qRLdkIqR8P
— mac (@macisugly) October 4, 2016
https://twitter.com/ThatBitchRosie/status/783310855240835072
#IfISeeAClown pic.twitter.com/amZLWrXMUS
— Dylan ? (@ddutton113) October 4, 2016
The most recently reported creepy clown attack occurred on Friday, September 30, in Reading, Ohio. Schools in the suburban town were closed after a clown made a veiled threat to students while attacking a woman on her front porch. Kim Youngblood, 45, told police that she was outside of her home around 2:30 a.m. when a man in a white mask, red wig and striped costume grabbed her by the throat, the New York Post reports. “I should just kill you now,” the clown reportedly told the victim, before adding, “Some students and teachers would wish they were never born at the Jr. and Sr. High School today.” The clown was then startled by a nearby noise and released the victim before running off.
South Carolina has been hit with clown sightings since August. According to USA Today, several children in Greenville reported clown sightings and that the creeps tried to lure them into the woods with money. Though state officials have been unable to identify anyone in connection with the case, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Ryan Flood isn’t taking the issue lightly. “Obviously, this is the type of claim that we need to take serious whether it’s valid or not,” he said.
In one of the most terrifying incidents, a 16-year-old high school sophomore was stabbed to death in Reading, Pennsylvania, by a man in a clown mask. A suspect, Avery Valentin-Bair, was arrested on first-degree murder and other charges in connection to the crime, the Associated Press reports.
Individuals in Colorado, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia have also reported clown-related incidents — some of which have turned out to be hoaxes.