Humanity Hallows Issue 4 Out Now!
Pick up your copy on campus or read online.
By Wayne Finnigan
The growing epidemic of people dressing up as clowns to scare passers by seems to be coinciding with the plans for the remake of the film It. The film, an adaptation of a Stephen King novel that features Pennywise the clown, is being remade for a release in 2017.
A few days ago, Stephen King expressed his concern about the craze in a tweet:
Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria–most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) October 3, 2016
However, the clown craze is still on the rise with sightings described as terrifying. Clowns usually wear masks and a poncho with blood splatters and have even been reported as carrying a machete or other form of weapon. Reports have also told how clowns are running in front of traffic and attempting to get into people’s cars.
Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Hankinson has made a statement about the craze on the Greater Manchester Police website:
“We are aware of this menacing craze, which originated in the USA, and will take action against those who are causing this fear. There has been a lot of speculation on social media and I’m urging people to refrain from fuelling this craze and creating more distress.
“The safety of people is our upmost priority; we want people to feel safe going about their daily lives. The individuals who are getting involved in this may not realise just how frightening it is to be on the receiving end, especially for children. It shows a complete disregard for people’s wellbeing and will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.
“It’s important to stress that no-one has been physically harmed and I want to reassure people that we take reports of this nature extremely seriously. If you witness an incident, or want to make a report, please contact police as soon as possible.”
To report an incident, contact 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A Facebook page has been set up to report UK sightings.
Have you been affected by the clown craze? Send your story to HumanityHallows.editor@gmail.com
Wayne Finnigan is a 25-year-old first year student studying Criminology and Psychology. He is an avid gamer and member of the MMUGG and enjoys writing and finding out about the interesting happenings of the world.
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