There was… quite a bit happening in 2016, so you’d be forgiven for not remembering the rash of clown sightings that took place that year.
But it’s true: Amid one of the most contentious election seasons in American history, there were reports of evil-looking clown sightings all across the United States, with additional reports popping up in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Where Did the 2016 Clown Sightings Begin?
There are many possible precursor events throughout the years, though it’s hard to pin down anything as being a direct cause of the 2016 clown sightings. There have been plenty of “evil” clown sightings throughout the years because, well, plenty of people have always been terrified of clowns and there will always be people out there to exploit that for a laugh.
But in 2016, the sightings began in August in Green Bay, Wisconsin (one of the clowns walking around Green Bay was eventually proven to be a publicity stunt for a horror movie). The phenomenon spread from there, with reports coming in around the country, spreading to South Carolina and North Carolina by the end of the month. Of course, rumors began swirling that these clowns – often seen near parking lots, parks, forests and schools – were attempting to lure children into the woods.
The Effects of the 2016 Killer Clown Phenomenon
These reported sightings set off a frenzy in the national news, even though many of the reports of the supposed killer-clown craze were unsubstantiated. But that didn’t stop school lockdowns, or everyone’s imaginations from running wild, and there were some incidents worth noting, as the clown incidents resulted in 12 arrests and one death in the United States. The death occurred in Reading, Pennsylvania, as a 16-year-old boy was fatally stabbed in an incident that appeared to have been instigated by a prowler wearing a clown mask.
Many of the clown sighting reports ended up being hoaxes, but clearly there were some very real incidents that helped fuel the ongoing hysteria into the fall (college students were even putting together mobs to hunt down clowns on campus after reported sightings). Big-box retailers like Target pulled clown masks from its shelves, and school districts around the country banned clown costumes for Halloween. And in true American fashion, some people just began firing into the woods upon hearing of a potential creepy clown stalking their town.
The hysteria reached something of a fever pitch in the week leading up to Halloween, as several news outlets reported on a planned “purge” event that would take place on Halloween Eve by people participating in these creepy clown sightings. A widespread purge, of course, never came to fruition, but a family in Florida was attacked on October 31 by a group of 20 people in clown and Purge-style masks, yet no arrests were made.
Social media certainly helped fan the flames of these 2016 clown incidents; not only were people sharing news stories about these clown stalkers, but if you’ve ever been in a city Facebook group, you know how out of control those discussions can get around neighborhood conspiracies.
A Tough Time to Be a Professional Clown
The entire situation had a detrimental effect on the world of clowns. Randy Christensen, president of the World Clown Association, had to put out a statement denouncing the movement of people putting on clown costumes to frighten others. Even McDonald’s made sure Ronald McDonald kept a low profile for a while. Clown costume sales spiked, sure, but for all the wrong reasons, and some people that year opted to trick-or-treat while armed (as if that’s different from any other year in the United States).
Eventually, the phenomenon of these mysterious clown stalkers – some real, some imagined – died down, but it proved to be the perfect storm. Clown phobias in general, combined with the exponential reach of social media, the rampant fear of the unknown, and people’s general tendency to believe just about anything, allow the 2016 clown sightings to feel like a plague upon the country. They weren’t of course, despite some very real incidents that took place, and this has become yet another weird footnote in American history.
