Creepy Clown's Tweet Puts Pasco Schools on Alert Campus Status

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — All Pasco County public schools are operating on “Alert Campus” status Friday following a morning tweet from a “creepy clown.”

According to Pasco County Schools, a tweet was made from “Ain’t Clowning Around” via Twitter Friday morning. That tweet reportedly included a threat against the county's high schools.

“We have no reason to believe it is credible or that any of our schools are in danger,” the county wrote in announcing the modified campus status on Facebook. “However, we are not summarily dismissing it and the sheriff’s office is investigating.”

To ensure student safety, the district said all schools are on the alert status. That basically means students and faculty are being encouraged to say something if they see something.

See also: Creepy Clown Sighting Prompts Warnings from Sheriff’s Office

“Teachers will continue to teach and all other activities will go on as planned,” the district noted. “Thank you for understanding that we are simply erring on the side of caution.”

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has also noted an uptick in “creepy clown” activity.

In a statement released to media early Friday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said clown sightings have occurred over the past few days primarily in the Hudson, Holiday and Port Richey areas.

“This is a nationwide event and these clowns are associating themselves with “evil, murder, rape, and violent acts,’” an email from the sheriff’s office said. Clowns are creating profiles on Facebook, the agency noted, and are attempting to befriend juveniles.

“In one post, a clown requested that a juvenile meet them at a park at night,” the email said. “We want to caution everyone that these types of acts are not being taken as a joke and are being investigated as threats.”

Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to call the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s tip line at 1-800-706-2488.

Earlier this week, a girl in Largo reportedly spotted a “creepy clown” at a bus stop. That sighting resulted in a warning from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for those who might consider taking part in the growing national trend.

The Pasco and Largo incidents come on the heels of a similar incident in Ocala. In that case, the sighting was caught on video, showing a person in a mask standing on a road. The video, posted to Facebook, has more than a million views.

Clown sightings have cropped up all across the country in recent weeks. They’ve been reported in Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee and elsewhere. Several incidents have been confirmed hoaxes, including recent reported sightings in Maryland.

»Photo via Pixabay/Video of the Ocala clown via Facebook