By Tim Binnall
A twisted miscreant in a clown mask has been terrorizing the children of a small Swedish community for the last several weeks. Brought to our attention by Swedish high strangeness researcher Fred Andersson, the unsettling case reportedly began in early April when youngsters in the Stockholm suburb of Märsta returned home with troubling tales of encountering the haunting harlequin. "He chases children and frightens them," resident Therese Tengerström lamented, recounting one worrisome incident wherein the creepy clown wielded a fake knife and tormented a ten-year-old girl. " She screamed in fear," the perturbed parent said, "but the man just laughed and kept running after her."
Spotted roaming around different parts of Märsta on multiple occasions, the ne'er-do-well has become the talk of the town among residents, with many understandably concerned about his intentions. "He seems to be getting a thrill from scaring the kids," mused Tengerström, "we’re worried about what he might do next." Expressing similar sentiments, resident Linda Törrönen detailed how her young daughter and her friends had a particularly unnerving experience with the weirdo. "The guy in the clown mask came at them on an electric scooter. He screamed in a creepy way and nearly ran into them when they tried to run," she said, "it's really disturbing." For their part, Märsta authorities indicated that there may be little they can do about the clown.
"If he’s just riding around in a mask and making strange noises, it's not a crime," explained Officer John Norberg, "but if he repeatedly directs sounds or words at the same person, that can count as harassment." Since the more serious crime of appearing to wield a weapon has seemingly not been reported to police, he encouraged residents to immediately contact authorities should their kids encounter the clown rather than simply sharing the strange stories among themselves. Meanwhile, Tengerström called upon her fellow townspeople to do their part in helping to unmask the miscreant, writing on social media, "someone in this community must know who he is. Better to tip the police one time too many than one too few."