Clown Hoax Hit Merrimack, No Suspects

NORTH ANDOVER, MA – Following a 30-minute shelter-in-place order last night, Merrimack College President Christopher E. Hopey has declared the original threat of an armed clown on campus a hoax.

The college sent a shelter-in-place alert at 9:36 p.m. after receiving a report of an armed man in a clown suit inside Monican Centre, a residence building.

Andover, North Andover, and state police responded to the campus and searched the area. They found no suspicious persons, clowns, or weapons, and the shelter-in-place was lifted about 30 minutes later, according to Hopey's statement.

Hopey referenced the parallel hoaxes regarding armed clowns across New England (26 communities, by his estimate), and noted that the college must treat every threat as "real and serious."

"This is the world in which we live, with very real threats intermingled with false alarms," wrote Hopey.

There were also clown-related threats in Dedham, New Hampshire, and Philadelphia.

Hopey encouraged students to contact campus police immediately if they see or hear something believed to be a threat to the community.

To shelter in place means students should seek a safe place in the building they're currently in, away from windows, exterior doors, and locking the doors if possible.

Here are the numbers for Merrimack Police:

Emergency line: 978-837-5911

Business line: 978-837-5555

Anonymous tip line: 978-837-5777

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