Reports of clowns prompting lockdowns unfounded

NEWARK - Social media reports of clown sightings prompting lockdowns at area schools Monday were unfounded, according to Newark City Schools officials.

The reports began after a post on social media referencing an alleged clown sighting on the east side of Newark on Monday, Newark Schools Community Outreach Coordinator Seth Roy said.

Sightings of clowns have caused uneasiness in communities across Ohio and the eastern part of the country in recent weeks. The cause is several reported incidents in other states involving people dressed as clowns attempting to lure children into a wooded area. Incidents have been reported in North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida.

The social media post turned into several students at Newark High School saying there was a clown on campus, Roy said.

The students likely spotted a red ladder that was on the school's baseball field.

Roy said several concerned parents called Wilson Middle School and the high school after additional social media reports of the schools being on lockdown.

The buildings were never locked down and no students left school early as a result of the alleged sightings, Roy said.

Sheriff Randy Thorp and Newark Police Chief Barry Connell said their departments have not received any calls about clown sightings to their knowledge.

In nearby Zanesville, the police said there had been no formal investigations into clown sightings although the police department had received 11 reports, including one where people were just talking about clowns. People have reported seeing clowns, often in white outfits, in alleys, in wooded areas and on street corners.

Reports of clowns were received this weekend in Mansfield, Shelby and Galion.

The Marion Police Department issued a stern statement Monday afternoon, saying any "clown sightings" locally were the work of people "in need of attention and (who) present no known threat."

However, the department said on Facebook, some local social media pages had used unverified reports to police Sunday night to spread "blatantly false" information to "generate traffic and public fear."

Police specifically named "Marion Ohio News and Weather Now," which posted that police had told people to stay inside and lock their doors because "clowns are breaking in homes and destroying property."

"No such order has been issued by police and this post...is blatantly false," the department posted through its own social media page. The post was made around 9 a.m. Monday and had been shared almost 3,000 times by 5 p.m.

Officers are seeking information on the person or people who run the page, saying they are creating "fear and public panic" through their "false information."

"There is nothing funny about this and it will not be taken lightly," the police said.

Reporter Spencer Hickey contributed to this report.