In addition to creepy clowns wandering the streets of Green Bay, Staten Island, Bakersfield, and the Rosehill cemetery in Chicago, now comes the disturbing news of a gaggle of demented clowns terrorizing a South Carolina town, attempting to lure children into the woods.

Greenville, South Carolina residents James and Donna Arnold, claim that two of their sons, aged 10 and 13, had encounters with the clowns, telling BuzzFeed:

“It’s getting a little ridiculous. My son, he’s seen 10 at one time. It doesn’t make no sense that they would be targeting kids,” Donna Arnold said.

[Our children] mentioned, ‘Mama, there’s clowns out there in the woods and they’re trying to get us to come out there. Some had chains, some had knives, and some were holding out money, saying, ‘Come here, we’ve got candy for you,’ but they wouldn’t go.

Well, fuck.

That’s not right.

Many sightings have occurred around the Fleetwood Manor apartment complex, setting the residents there on edge. A letter of warning was posted for the families there, saying:

To The Residents of Fleetwood Manor

There has [sic] been several conversation [sic] and a lot of complaints to the office regarding a clown or a person dressed in clown clothing taking children or trying to lure children in the woods. First and foremost at Fleetwood Manor Apartments childrens [sic] safety is a top priority. At no time should a child be alone at night, or walking in the roads or wooded areas at night. Also if a person or persons are seen you are to immediately call the police. Greenville County Police Department is aware of the situation and have been riding [sic] the property daily. Remember there is a 10pm curfew for the property so to ensure your childrens [sic] safety please keep them in the house during night hours and make sure at ALL times children are supervised. Anymore information that becomes regarding this issue will be sent out to all residents.
Thank you,

Property Manager

From PAPER magazine:

Another resident alleged that she saw a man dressed as a clown with a “blinking nose” standing under a parking lot post light (as only a clown does in the dead of night) as she walked home around 2:30 AM on the morning of August 21.

She claims the clown waved at her, which she reciprocated.

GREAT, NOW YOU’RE MARKED BY THE BLINKING-NOSE CLOWN. UNIDENTIFIED RESIDENT.

From Buzzfeed, again:

The deputy who compiled the report also wrote that several children said they “believe the clowns stay in a house located near a pond at the end of a man-made [trail] in the woods.”
Donna Arnold described the house as “abandoned.”

The investigating deputy followed the trail and wrote of having “observed a house near a pond that was located in the area behind the apartments,” but reported “no signs of suspicious activity or characters dressed in clown attire.”

The Arnolds told BuzzFeed News they and other residents are concerned for the children’s safety.

“We talk to them constantly [about stranger danger] because this is a bad neighborhood, but nothing like this has happened,” James Arnold said. “This is one of the neighborhoods where guys are walking around carrying guns, but we’ve had no clowns before.”

See also: The Grim Reaper Stalks Albuquerque Cemetery