The series of disturbing clown sightings in Greenville, South Carolina that gained national attention earlier this week appear to be increasing and spreading throughout the state!
Following news of the spate of clown encounters plaguing the Greenville apartment complex, new witnesses have come forward and new sightings have occurred.
Generating the most interest may be a fresh sighting which happened on Wednesday evening and provides some intriguing details about the clown.
According to the witness, the unsettling harlequin was clad in a bald cap with garish hair coming out of the sides, rudimentary black-and-white face paint, and the tell-tale sign of evil clowns everywhere: "balloon pants."
Strangely enough, she also noticed that the clown smelled like 'house paint,' which is a baffling clue that could be either very important or just really weird.
Meanwhile, the harlequin reign of terror also spread about 30 miles north to Spartanburg, South Carolina, where another clown sighting was reported on Wednesday evening.
Additionally, a young boy in Ohio claimed that he was chased by knife-wielding man in a clown mask, although we're guessing that the incident was a coincidence rather than connected to the cadre of Carolina clowns.
With panic growing in Greenville, authorities held a press conference on Thursday to address the furor and send a message to the menacing harlequin.
"The clowning around needs to stop," declared Greenville police chief Ken Miller, "it’s illegal, it’s dangerous, it’s inappropriate, it’s creating community concern."
In what may be understatement of the year as well as both sound life advice, in general, Miller also said, "we want to encourage anyone who may be inclined to dress in clown outfits, not to do it."
He also intimated that anyone caught clad as clown could be charged under a variety of different laws.
So, should the individuals behind the clown craze be captured, we're guessing that their punishment will exceed simply spending some time in the dunk tank.