Schools in Ohio were closed down on Sept. 30 after suspects dressed in clown costumes threatened to harm students.
The Hamilton County district issued a statement on its website:
“Overnight, a woman in Reading was attacked by a male dressed as a clown and the perpetrator has not been apprehended. During the attack, the victim reported a threat was made against our students. We take all threats to the safety of our students seriously.”
“We were especially concerned with the number of students who walk to school in the early morning hours and made the decision to close school. The district is working closely with the Reading Police on this matter. We will make a decision about homecoming activities later in the day as we know more.”
Cincinnati.com reported that Kim Youngblood was grabbed by the throat by a man who allegedly said he'd kill her and harm students at local schools. According to Youngblood, the male said “that some students and teachers would wish they were never born at the Jr. and Sr. High School today.”
No arrests have been made in the attack of Youngblood.
The Northwest Local School District also closed Colerian High School on Friday after local police became aware of threats posted to social media.
Colerian Township Police arrested a young man in connection to that incident on Sept. 29, who has since been charged with two felonies.
“This suspect used the current ‘clown’ trend to further terrorize parents and students and has been charged with Making Terrorist Threats and Inducing Panic,” police said in a Facebook post.
Posts on Twitter under the handle @clownclann had mentioned schools in the area, including Colerian. It is unclear if the arrested individual and the Twitter postings are related.
Clown sightings have become a nuisance for residents throughout the nation. While sightings have been common in the southern states, recent sightings have been reported in New York and New Jersey.
