Recent sightings of strange and sinister clowns have been popping up across the United States, the United Kingdom and even Spain, often under the cover of night. From black balloons to weapons, these eerie pranksters have sparked fear and fascination alike.

Recent Sightings of Sinister Clowns Across America and Europe

10 ‘Gags’ Wanders Green Bay, Wisconsin, With Black Balloons

Locals in Green Bay gave this midnight wanderer the nickname “Gags.” The clown first strutted through town in the early hours of August 1, 2016, and the sighting was logged by radio station WBAY. Apart from his unsettling makeup and battered jumpsuit, Gags clutched a bunch of ominous black balloons.

Speculation swirled that a local filmmaker was behind the stunt for a short horror piece. The eerie photos quickly went viral on Facebook, racking up over 50,000 likes as the legend of Gags grew.

9 South Carolina Clowns Trying To Lure Children

In August 2016, Greenville residents received a stark warning: report any clown sighting to police immediately. Witnesses described clowns with luminous noses and oversized shoes prowling the streets, allegedly trying to coax kids into nearby woods.

Other reports placed these wicked‑looking figures near basketball courts and under streetlights, sometimes brandishing cash and even lasers. Greenville County Sheriff’s Ryan Flood stressed the seriousness of the alerts, prompting increased patrols despite a lack of concrete evidence.

8 North Carolina

A week after the South Carolina warning, similar sightings emerged across the North Carolina border, dubbed the “Tar Heel” sightings. They clustered around Greensboro and Winston‑Salem.

The first encounter involved a clown with red curly hair and a yellow‑dotted shirt sprinting from the woods near an apartment complex. A brave witness chased it back with a machete, prompting authorities to advise prank‑enthusiasts to steer clear of clown garb.

7 Clowns Brandishing Weapons In Bakersfield, California

In 2014, Bakersfield police fielded reports of clowns roaming the city armed with machetes or baseball bats. Officer Joe Grubbs noted the sightings preyed on the innate fear of clowns.

Twenty sightings flooded the town in a single week. The only “clown” nabbed was a 14‑year‑old boy chasing younger children while dressed as a clown. He claimed it was a prank he’d seen online; police released him but warned against such dangerous masquerades.

6 Clown Issues Online Threat To Abduct Children From Schools In Georgia

September 2016 brought a chilling report from LaGrange, Georgia: clowns were approaching children and one even posted an online threat to kidnap students.

The threat surfaced on a Facebook page promising a clown‑disguised driver would target five local schools in a white van. While the perpetrator remains unidentified, LaGrange police said they would prosecute anyone caught if it served the public interest.

5 Copycat Clown Appearances In The San Joaquin Valley, California

October 2014 saw a wave of crimes in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and witnesses reported perpetrators dressed as clowns. Their looks kept changing, but the “evil” vibe stayed constant.

An anonymous caller claimed the sightings were part of a photography project he and his wife were doing. He didn’t intend to frighten anyone, but locals apparently took the idea and spawned a wave of copycat clown appearances.

4 Tabloid Newspaper Unmasks Creepy Clown In Northampton, UK

On September 13, 2013, a mysterious clown began haunting Northampton, UK. The specter quickly went global, with TV crews from the US, Canada, Australia, Japan and India covering the phenomenon.

Eyewitnesses likened him to Stephen King’s Pennywise, noting his balloons, slow wave and occasional “Beep! Beep!” chant. The Daily Mirror traced the prankster to student filmmaker Alex Powell, who was caught emerging from his home in full clown attire.

3 Clown On I192, Kentucky

Mid‑September 2016, Jamie Hill posted a photo of a figure near the Hal Rogers Parkway in London, Kentucky. She hadn’t intended to share it publicly, but when others confirmed the sighting, the image went viral.

Laurel County Sheriff’s office received no formal complaints, yet they remain poised to act after neighboring counties reported three suspicious clown‑costumed individuals.

2 Vigilante Groups Respond To Evil Clown Pranksters Throughout France

Late 2014 saw France gripped by a wave of “evil” clowns, many brandishing pistols, baseball bats or knives. One woman claimed a clown attacked her with a fake axe, while others reported robberies by masked assailants.

Authorities treated the incidents with deadly seriousness, arresting several suspects. A 19‑year‑old received a six‑month suspended sentence for dressing as a clown and threatening the public.

1 Gijonclown

After the French frenzy, Spain’s coastal city of Gijón introduced its own eerie jester: “Gijonclown.” The figure maintains an Instagram account with over 5,000 followers.

He appears in the early hours, never speaking or wielding weapons, but locals describe his demeanor as “sinister.” Unlike the French incidents, Gijonclown seems content with the spotlight alone.

One of his posts reads, “Scared of clowns? But we are the most friendly, nice and sociable people you’ll ever meet. You’ll find us at night.”

Further Reading

If you suffer from coulrophobia, you might want to skip these fascinating articles from our archives:

• Top 10 Clowns You Don’t Want To Mess With
• 10 Bizarre Facts About Clowns
• 10 Creepy Tales About Clowns
• 10 Most Horrific Circus Accidents In History

Marcus Lowth writes for Me Time For The Mind. Follow him on social media for more spooky stories.

When you think of clowns, you probably picture a painted grin and a mischievous tumble—but the roots of that unsettling image stretch back through centuries of bizarre rituals, theatrical experiments, and outright mayhem. These ten historical clowns helped forge the creepy archetype we recognize today, each leaving a legacy that still sends shivers down the spine of anyone who dares to laugh.

Why Historical Clowns Still Haunt Us

From sacred ceremonies to murderous operas, the figures we now call “clowns” were often wielders of magic, mockery, and madness. Their stories remind us that humor can be a weapon, a mask, and sometimes a doorway to the darker side of humanity.

10 The White Fool

Among the many tribal traditions of North America, the Arapaho’s “white fool” stands out as a genuinely terrifying figure. Dubbed the white crazy man, he painted his body in white clay and claimed a special kind of medicinal magic that set him apart from ordinary members of the tribe.

His power wasn’t just mystical; the white fool also enjoyed unrestricted sexual freedom during sacred ceremonies, meaning he could take anyone he desired whenever the ritual called for it. This combination of magical authority and unchecked desire made him one of the most feared personalities in tribal lore.

Myths even cast him as the opposite of the heroic Big Chief, a brother who plotted to eliminate his fool sibling despite their blood ties. The white fool’s reputation as a dangerous, unpredictable force cemented his role as a cautionary figure in Arapaho culture.

9 All-Day

British pantomime owes much of its modern clown visage to Joseph Grimaldi, a performer whose upbringing was as chaotic as his stage persona. His father, a flamboyant entertainer known as the Signor or Grim‑All‑Day, claimed the Devil warned him of an early death each month. To thwart the prophecy, the Signor locked himself in a room full of ticking clocks and stayed awake all night.Grimaldi’s father also subjected aspiring actors to bizarre tortures—like suspending them in stocks above the stage—creating a climate of fear that shaped his son’s artistic sensibilities. The result was a clown who was described as “part‑child, part‑nightmare,” with a blood‑red mouth that resembled a fresh wound.

Biographers note that Grimaldi’s split personality, oscillating between manic joy and deep depression, gave his performances an unsettling edge that still influences clowns today.

8 The Clowns Of The Aztecs

While the Aztec empire is famed for its human sacrifices, it also had a peculiar sense of humor. When Hernán Cortés returned to Europe, he presented Pope Clement VII with a collection of Aztec clowns—dwarfs and hunchbacks—highlighting the empire’s love of theatrical oddities.

Historian William H. Prescott chronicled Montezuma’s personal troupe of clowns, describing them as so grotesquely deformed that they seemed beyond natural explanation. Montezuma believed that within their jokes lay hidden truths that no one else dared to voice.

These Aztec jesters, though physically striking, served as a cultural mirror, reflecting both the empire’s grandeur and its darker undercurrents.

7 Tristano Martinelli, The Original Harlequin

In the 1570s a troupe of Italian performers ventured from Italy to Antwerp and then Paris, led by the flamboyant Tristano Martinelli. He introduced a new character—Arlequin—clad in a black leather mask, a patch‑covered bodysuit, and a hat topped with a rabbit’s tail, wielding a wooden sword.

Martinelli’s signature soon read “detto Arlechino comico,” cementing the name in theatrical history. Originally a servant‑fool, his Arlequin evolved into a half‑mask figure with an exaggerated, quizzical expression, drawing parallels to the demon Alichino from Dante’s Inferno.

The dark undertones of Martinelli’s Harlequin foreshadowed the clown’s later association with mischief and menace.

6 The Cannibal Clowns

Northern Plains tribes gave their clowns names echoing the fearsome windigo—a monstrous creature that devoured travelers. These “windigokan” clowns, also known as wetigokan or wintgogax, performed a macabre ritual after a leader received a vision of a Skeleton Being.

Ten men would dress in rags, wear long‑nose masks, and embark on a mock hunt. After capturing prey, they staged a theatrical chase, fleeing from the animal remains and strips of drying meat. The laughter generated by this performance was believed to expel demons and evil spirits from the tribe.

Thus, the cannibal clowns turned terror into therapeutic humor, using comedy as a spiritual antidote.

5 Pagliacci

Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 19th‑century opera Pagliacci (“The Clowns”) cemented the notion of the clown as a dark, tragic figure. The plot follows a traveling troupe that sets up for the Feast of the Assumption, only for the head clown, Canio, to discover his wife’s infidelity.

When his wife, Nedda, refuses to name her lover, Canio stages a performance that mirrors the real-life betrayal, culminating in a murderous climax where he kills both his wife and her lover.

The opera draws from a true story involving Gaetano Scavello, a tutor who became entangled in a deadly love triangle that ended with a stabbing. Leoncavallo transformed this grim episode into a timeless cautionary tale about the thin line between performance and reality.

4 William Kemp

Elizabethan actor William Kemp was a crowd‑pleasing clown whose improvisational antics may have even nudged Shakespeare into new creative directions. Known for his off‑the‑cuff jokes, Kemp’s unpredictable style made him a favorite with audiences.

Scholars suspect that a backstage rivalry between Kemp and Shakespeare led the playwright to omit Falstaff from Henry V, despite earlier promises of his return. Hamlet’s line about clowns doing only what they’re told is thought to be a sly nod to Kemp’s reputation.

Kemp’s daring spirit wasn’t limited to the stage; after a 1598 morris‑dance trek from London to Norwich, he penned a memoir of the journey, referring to Shakespeare as “Shakerags.”

3 Jean‑Gaspard Deburau

Jean‑Gaspard Deburau became the face of Paris’s beloved Pierrot, a white‑faced, acrobatic clown adored by nobles and commoners alike. He could shift personalities on a whim, captivating audiences with each new performance.

Tragedy struck when a child shouted Deburau’s stage name while he walked the streets. In a sudden, violent act, Deburau raised his cane and struck the child, killing him instantly. Although he was acquitted, biographers argue that the incident revealed a dual nature: Pierrot’s controlled, whimsical mask versus the darker individual beneath.

This chilling episode underscored how the clown’s makeup could conceal a volatile inner world.

2 Hopi Contrary Clowns

The Hopi recognize four distinct clown types, but the contrary clowns are perhaps the most unsettling. Their role is to invert ordinary behavior, acting in stark opposition to everyday norms.

By mocking serious problems through reversed language and actions, these clowns wield laughter as a weapon against evil spirits. Hopi belief holds that the afterlife mirrors this inversion—day becomes night, cardinal directions flip—so the contrary clowns’ antics echo the underworld’s reversed order.

In this way, they serve as a living reminder of what awaits everyone beyond this world, using humor to keep malevolent forces at bay.

1 Dan Rice

Dan Rice was a larger‑than‑life 19th‑century American entertainer who claimed to be Abraham Lincoln’s personal clown, inspired the iconic Uncle Sam suit, and even invented pink lemonade. In reality, his circus career unfolded during a time when the circus was considered unsuitable for families.

Branding himself the Great American Humorist, Rice used his platform to deliver biting commentary on current events, especially the Civil War. His political ambitions led him to run for president on the Democratic ticket, taking a firm abolitionist stance despite Northern newspapers labeling him a traitor for his Southern circus base.

After a brief campaign, Rice withdrew and faded from the spotlight, but his influence lived on, inspiring the next generation of circus pioneers, including the famous Ringling Brothers.

Professional clowns can be delightful, but when they wander far beyond the circus ring, they start to feel genuinely menacing. These wayward jesters have sparked violent brawls, reckless car chases, and eerie surprise appearances that make anyone’s skin crawl. In fact, there are 10 more reasons why clowns can be seriously unsettling, and employers now find it oddly comforting when a clown shows up just as a worker is called into the boss’s office for a termination.

10 They Really Lurk In The Woods

Back in 2016, the nation was hit by what came to be known as the Great Clown Scare. Across several states, frantic reports flooded police stations as ordinary citizens swore they had seen clowns skulking among the trees, apparently trying to lure children into the darkness. Social‑media feeds exploded with grainy photos of shadowy figures peeking from behind trunks or standing boldly in clearings, each image more unsettling than the last.

While many of those snapshots turned out to be hoaxes, the panic was very real. One particularly alarming case involved an 11‑year‑old girl who, terrified by the rumors, brought a knife to school because she feared a clown would come after her. Some of the sightings were indeed fabricated, but a few turned out to be genuine, adding a chilling layer to the frenzy.

Residents of Middlesboro, Kentucky, reported a clown wandering through the nearby woods late at night. Police treated the multiple eyewitness accounts with seriousness, dispatching officers to the area. Their vigilance paid off when they caught a figure loitering behind a building complex, clearly concealed by the foliage during the early morning hours.

When the suspect was finally unmasked, it turned out to be 20‑year‑old Jonathan Martin, who was promptly charged with violating a city ordinance that prohibits facial concealment intended to cause public alarm. He even posed for a mugshot in his full clown costume, cementing the bizarre episode in local lore.

9 Clown Pranks Are Expensive And Deadly

When the 2016 clown scare crossed the Atlantic and hit the United Kingdom, the fallout was anything but humorous. In Gloucester, six separate incidents were logged where a knife‑wielding clown stalked unsuspecting victims, leaving a trail of terror. In County Durham, a group of schoolchildren were startled when a clown lunged at them brandishing a blade, while in Suffolk, another clown chased a frightened boy through the streets.

British police classified every clown‑related report as a Grade One emergency, meaning officers had to respond immediately to each sighting. This relentless focus on clown incidents drained valuable resources, diverting attention from genuine emergencies. The cumulative effect was a waste of fuel, time, and manpower, potentially costing lives that might have been saved had the police not been preoccupied with a circus‑themed menace.

8 Clown Makeup Defies Facial Recognition Systems

Insane Clown Posse, the infamous rap group, has a legion of devoted fans known as Juggalos, who often paint their faces in elaborate, clown‑inspired designs. While the look is striking, it also creates a technical headache for modern facial‑recognition software that’s increasingly deployed worldwide. The distinctive dark line beneath a Juggalo’s lower lip, for example, tricks the algorithm into perceiving a recessed jaw, effectively throwing the system off‑balance.

Facial‑recognition technology is now a staple of law‑enforcement and security operations, capable of matching faces to databases in seconds. For those seeking anonymity, smearing paint in the Juggalo style can act as a makeshift mask, disrupting the software’s ability to generate a reliable match. This loophole has serious implications, as the same systems that help locate missing children or thwart terrorist plots can be subverted by a simple splash of color.

While the technology continues to evolve, the fact remains that a well‑applied clown makeup can render a person virtually invisible to cameras that rely on facial geometry. In the hands of a criminal, this could provide a dangerous edge, allowing illicit activities to go undetected.

7 They Infiltrated The Police

Officer Karina Salgado of Chicago’s police department usually dons the standard blue uniform, but on a fateful Halloween night in 2019 she decided to swap it for a full‑on clown costume. Fueled by alcohol, she ventured into a Lakeview East bar, only to be turned away by the staff who weren’t prepared for a tipsy clown demanding entry.

When the bartender refused her, Salgado’s behavior escalated dramatically. She became disruptive, prompting a call to the police—ironically, to the very department she worked for. Officers arrived around 1:20 a.m. to find their colleague standing in a garish clown suit, still insisting on being let inside.

Attempts to calm her down failed, and the clown‑clad officer swung at a fellow officer, landing a solid slap. She was subsequently arrested on charges of battery, criminal trespass, and obstruction of an officer. After an internal review, Salgado was reassigned to a desk job, handling public inquiries over the phone rather than confronting citizens face‑to‑face.

6 They Infiltrate Our Beds

Imagine stepping through your front door to find a full‑sized clown sprawled across your bedroom. That’s exactly what a teenager in Marlboro, Vermont, discovered in 2017. The youngster called 911 after encountering a 43‑year‑old man named Sean Barber, who had broken into the home and taken a nap in an upstairs bedroom.

Barber, clearly intoxicated, was found passed out among the family’s bedding. Police swiftly arrested him, discovering a stash of cocaine hidden in his vibrant costume. The bizarre intrusion left the family shaken, and Barber was later held in a correctional facility while facing charges of drug possession and trespassing.

This unsettling episode underscores how a seemingly harmless clown outfit can mask dangerous intent, turning a playful image into a nightmarish violation of personal space.

5 They Cause Mass Brawls

When the cruise liner Britannia set sail for Norway’s majestic fjords, passengers expected serene views and leisurely buffets. Instead, they were met with a full‑blown brawl sparked by a single clown who, dressed in full regalia, began causing chaos at the ship’s restaurant in the early hours of the morning.

Security personnel arrived to find a chaotic scene: plates flying, furniture used as weapons, and a crowd of terrified travelers scrambling for safety. The melee escalated quickly, injuring three women and three men with serious wounds, while the clown’s presence seemed to ignite the violence, especially after a passenger complained that he had paid for a “no‑costume” cruise.

When the ship finally docked, Hampshire police were waiting with handcuffs, ready to detain the trouble‑making entertainer and restore order to the once‑peaceful voyage.

4 They Lead Police On Slow‑Speed Chases

High‑speed chases are a staple of action movies, but a 2019 incident in Los Angeles proved that a clown can turn a routine traffic stop into a drawn‑out spectacle. A man wearing a bright wig and mask hopped into a sedan, then proceeded to stand up through the sunroof, even perching his feet on the roof as the car crawled along a 56‑kilometre stretch.

The California Highway Patrol followed the unusually slow‑moving vehicle, enduring a series of mocking gestures from the clown, who seemed to shrug at the authorities. Eventually, the clown leapt from the car near Venice Beach and began running, only to be caught by officers. In a bizarre twist, he spent his remaining moments burying a beachgoer in the sand—an act the victim appeared to find amusing.

The whole episode left onlookers bewildered, highlighting how a seemingly harmless entertainer can waste precious police time and resources, all while providing a surreal public display.

3 Clowns On The Run

In 1990, Marlene Warren of a quiet Florida town opened her front door to a clown holding two balloons—one emblazoned with Snow White, the other proclaiming “You’re The Greatest!” The encounter turned deadly when the clown, later identified as 43‑year‑old Sheila Keen, shot Warren in the face.

Warren succumbed to her injuries two days later, and the murderer vanished, remaining at large for nearly three decades. Police initially suspected the killer was a local man, but the case grew cold due to a lack of concrete evidence.

It wasn’t until 2017 that DNA evidence finally linked Keen to the crime. Although investigators could not prove that Warren’s husband, Michael, was involved, they uncovered a possible motive: Warren’s life‑insurance policy and property would benefit him upon her death. Keen’s arrest finally closed a chilling chapter that had haunted the community for thirty years.

2 Support Clowns Are Here

Support animals are known to soothe anxiety, ranging from peacocks to miniature horses. In a startling twist, a New Zealand employee decided to bring a “support clown” to his redundancy meeting in 2019, hoping the whimsical companion would ease the awkwardness of being let go.

The manager, already tasked with delivering the termination, suddenly found herself surrounded by a clown expertly crafting balloon animals. The situation grew even more uncomfortable when the clown mimed crying and sorrow as the employee received his paperwork, turning a professional dismissal into a surreal performance.

While the gesture was intended to provide emotional support, it instead amplified the absurdity of the moment, leaving everyone involved with an unforgettable—and oddly unsettling—memory of the day a clown became part of a lay‑off.

1 The Mother’s Day Killer

Kevin Lapeire, a charismatic contestant on Belgium’s Got Talent, earned fame as the nation’s top clown, even performing as “Doctor Aspirin” for sick children in hospitals. However, behind the painted smile lay a dark obsession. After a bitter breakup with his girlfriend, Lapeire plotted a gruesome revenge, enlisting fellow clown Dietwin Haegeman—known as “Dietwin the Yodeller”—to help him.

Choosing Mother’s Day in 2018 as the day of reckoning, the duo invaded the ex‑girlfriend’s home, holding three teenage children hostage while forcing them to watch the horrific murder of their mother. Haegeman was apprehended quickly, but Lapeire turned the scene into a chaotic showdown, firing at police from a rooftop, hurling gas canisters, and feigning surrender repeatedly before finally being taken into custody.