The killer clown craze has spread to the U.K., where a crazed clown stabbed a Gloucestershire woman. A primary school was also shut down recently after the sighting of a knife-wielding clown near the school.
Killer clowns are probably the least favorite export of the United States right now, a craze which started several months ago. Simon Cowell of America’s Got Talent claims responsibility .
“I think I started it – the whole killer clown thing. I had a phobia of clowns and on America’s Got Talent this year a clown came on and I freaked out.
“Then we ended the show, we didn’t know they were doing it and I get in my Rolls Royce and then the driver is a creepy clown.
“So I’m responsible. I’m scared – I didn’t like them when I was a kid. They’re creepy.”
Regardless as to whether or not Simon is the source, the effects are readily apparent.
Killer clowns were repeatedly spotted in and around Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the infestation quickly spread throughout the U.S. and around the world. Earlier this month, a killer clown stabbed a U.K. resident through the letterbox hole on her door after she fled from a confrontation with the clown.
According to the International Business Times , “It all started when the victim heard some kind of noise outside her window. When she went to open the door to check out what it was, she stumbled upon a man dressed in a killer clown costume standing right on her doorstep.”
Despite slamming the door in the killer clown’s face, the woman suffered a stab wound to her leg.
A killer clown struck again just this past week, when the Somerville Primary School in Wallasey, U.K., was shut down due to a potential attack.
The Sun quoted one witness as saying, “People be aware there is a man in a t-shirt light jeans with black belt with a massive knife and wearing a clown mask looking for north feild [sic] road. Got in my face and was waving the knife in me face.”
The local police arrested a 31-year-old male with charges of suspicion of having a weapon.
Killer clowns (or wannabes) have posted various threats on the internet as well. A “Killer Clown Purge” event was feared to take place on Halloween/Halloween Eve, but so, far no reports of anything out of the ordinary regarding that event have been noted.
Besides the threat of physical violence, the psychological impact of the killer clown craze cannot be underestimated.
The Bristol Post reports, “There has been a spike in the number of children under 11 needing counselling because of ‘killer clowns’. In just three weeks, the NSPCC’s Childline has been contacted 462 times by children afraid of the creepy circus costumes, with 84 clown-related counselling sessions per day being provided.”
Furthermore, the Post stated, “Police officers were called out to more than 30 reports of clowns scaring people in Bristol this year, compared to just the two last year.”
The killer clown craze is certainly one the stranger things to happen in the last couple of years, even counting the U.S. election.
One killer clown victim is someone familiar to most Americans, Ronald McDonald. Due to the extremely negative publicity the killer clowns have brought, Ronald appearances have dropped significantly, although not everyone is sad about that.
It’s about time someone put a stop to Ronald McDonald. That jerk has been scaring me since I was a kid.
— Brandon Cloud (@theclobra) October 11, 2016
According to Metro , a Mcdonald’s spokesperson stated , “McDonald’s and franchisees in the local markets are mindful of the current climate around clown sightings in communities and as such are being thoughtful in respect to Ronald McDonald’s participation in community events for the time being.”
So what do you think of the killer clown craze? Is it just a bunch of pranksters having some sociopathic fun, or is it a symptom of something far worse? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below!
[Featured Image by David McNew/Getty Images]
