Police in Connecticut have arrested a 19-year-old man who they claim brandished a large knife and donned a Ghostface before chasing after random children.
New London police on Tuesday, April 14, busted Zakai Marshall on second-degree breach of peace, carrying a dangerous weapon, and simple trespass charges.
Sources confirmed to Us Weekly that Marshall was arrested for his actions the night before.
At around 7:45 p.m. on Monday, April 13, New London 911 received calls about a man in the mask made famous by the long-running film franchise Scream, running after kids with a knife.
Police were told that the man in the mask had fled into Bates Woods.
Later, cops said that they spoke to witnesses who alleged the masked man was holding the knife over his head, and at one point, made so-called stabbing motions with it.
Investigators said they utilized a drone to track down Marshall, who was arrested a stone’s throw from the New London Animal Control office in Bates Woods Park.
When cops took him into custody, they said they searched Marshall, finding the aforementioned mask and what was described as a large “buck” knife.
Buck knives are considered versatile tools, popular with hunters who use them for field dressing game, because of their sharp blades and user-friendly design. Many of them are foldable, also making them among the most popular knives with campers.
New London Police continue to investigate the incident.
Beyond scaring the living daylights out of the kids, Marshall’s alleged motive was not specifically mentioned by police.
People who may have any information about this incident are asked to contact the New London Police Department at (860) 447-5269, and press extension 0. Anonymous tips may be submitted via the New London Police Tips 411 system by texting NLPDTip plus the information to Tip411 (847411).
These days, the Ghostface mask is instantly recognizable to fans of the Scream films.
The mask made its big screen debut in the inaugural Wes Craven-directed Scream film in 1996 as a disguise used by teenagers Billy Loomis and Stu Macher — portrayed by Skeet Ulrich and Matthew Lillard, respectively — during their murderous reign over spree in the fictional town of Woodsboro.
The mask was, indeed, part of a popular Halloween costume prior to the film.
The Ghostface mask has become part of popular American culture, appearing in everything Dawson’s Creek, The Simpsons and The Sopranos to the infinite number of Scream parodies,.
