Extra Police Presence at Connecticut Schools Following ‘Clown' Threats

There will be increased police presence at several Connecticut schools on Wednesday following threatening social media posts involving clowns-- a trend spooking the nation within the last month.

Police from various towns said they are aware of the postings that threaten violence towards the school districts with a clown account.

Police do not believe the threats are credible but they will continue to investigate.

Wallingford's Lyman Hall High School and Sheehan High School, along with Cheshire and Ansonia schools, will all have extra police presence on Wednesday. 

This morning, Ansonia police announced that they arrested two 13-year-old girls in connection with the threat.

On Tuesday, two other teenage girls were arrested for allegedly posting threatening clown messages towards Naugatuck schools on social media. In addition to Naugatuck increasing safety measures, North Haven also had extra police presence at its schools.

New Haven Schools said they are prohibiting any clown costumes of "symbols of terror" during this year's Halloween season because of the frenzy. 

Various U.S. towns have been stepping up patrols as the creepy clown craze stays steady. In August, children in South Carolina reported seeing multiple clowns lurking in the woods and showing them money.

Twelve people were arrested across Georgia, Alabama and Virginia in the past two weeks for making false reports of clown threats or chasing people while costumed, authorities said on various county police Facebook posts, NBC News reports.

In Connecticut, new laws make it a class C felony to make threats with the intent to cause an evacuation of a school and a conviction could lead to a prison sentence of one to 10 years and a $10,000 fine. 

Sightings and hoaxes have spread to more than a dozen states, including New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania in September and have led to elementary, middle schools and high schools being shut down in Ohio and added police patrols in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, according to NBC News.

On Monday, two teens in New Jersey were arrested for allegedly making threatening social media posts about clown attacks at students and residents in the town. Another 13-year-old girl, on the same day, was posting threatening comment with a clown account.

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