Frostburg State University and City Police Received No Information Regarding Possible Clown Sighting

On Thursday, Oct. 27, The Bottom Line staff received inquiries from Frostburg State University students about a possible clown sighting on Bowery and Wood Streets, near off-campus student housing. Chatter amongst students regarding the possible sighting began after apparent photos began floating around from Snapchat.

According to Chief Cynthia Smith, “neither Frostburg State University Police nor Frostburg City Police received any information regarding a clown sighting.”

An Oct. 6 article from NPR, “Coulrophobics Beware: America’s Creepy Clown Problem Continues,” stated, “America has a scary clown problem.” The article classifies these problematic clown quandaries in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Kentucky into three categories: People actually dressed as clowns and acting creepy, empty clown-related threats against schools, and unfounded hysteria.

Additionally mentioned was the clown situation at Penn State University on Oct. 3, where hundreds of students took to the streets supposedly searching for a clown, according to the student newspaper Penn State Collegian. The student reporting includes that “Penn State police officers on the scene … insisted that there was no clown and the reported sightings were just rumors.”