Halloween pranks have gone past toilet papering someone’s house or hiding in a pile of leaves this year, as creepy and sometimes dangerous clown sightings have been happening across America.

It started in South Carolina, with a clown trying to lure kids into the woods. Now they have been spotted in 28 states, just to terrify citizens. Now most recently they have been spotted in Ohio.

As for whom are they, news reports have suggested that it is an organization, while others say it is just people looking for media attention.

There have been claims of these clowns chasing people, wielding weapons, real and fake, and trying to grab children and students. On Monday October 3, 2016 a woman was grabbed by a clown at Texas University, and fortunately managed to escape. This has been enough to close down schools and make arrests. Dozens have been arrested across several states for these pranks and but that’s not stopping anyone. At least a dozen arrests have been made in Ohio.

Police are asking people not to make up fake clown sightings, and saying “they are no laughing matter.” They are also asking people to stop hunting for clowns, as many students have been doing. Saying all this is a waste valuable police resources. Police also say not to make clown threats online even as a joke, arrests will be made for even threatening to join the prank or creating a threatening clown Facebook page according to the New York Times.

Sociologists are calling these clown hunting parties and sightings modern day witch hunts.

An investigation is in the works for the death of 16-year-old in Pennsylvania boy who was stabbed and killed by someone who may have been wearing a clown mask. The investigation is still ongoing according to the Associated Press.

A question was even brought up about the clowns at a White House Press Conference. Spokesman Josh Earnest said to check with the FBI and DHS for more information and that he did not have any at the moment.

Popular clown, Pennywise, creator Stephen King even tweeted “Hey, guys, time to cool the clown hysteria--most of em are good, cheer up the kiddies, make people laugh.” Even a horror guru isn’t finding this amusing.

Showing up at college campuses, in backyards, and in the street. Parents and students are concerned for their safety and sanity.

Halloween will be a difficult time telling one clown from another. Which ones at the haunted house are there for entertainment and which are there as part of this hoax. Who just dresses up as a clown for the holiday and who is out to do bad. We won’t be able to tell

This clown prank is affecting more than just kids and parents. The “Times” recently wrote of Jordan Jones, a Pennsylvania man who plays the part of clown in haunted houses. Jones now fears for his life because this prank clowns are giving real clowns a bad reputation.

Jones is the creator of the Clown Lives Matter movement on Facebook trying to keep working class clowns safe this season as the prank clown sightings continue to grow.

It is no longer safe to be a clown.