Authorities in Pennsylvania suspect that another wave of creepy clown sightings may soon unfold and are warning residents to be ready.
In a testament to how seriously they are taking the harlequin menace, the Pennsylvania State Police actually issued a bulletin about the problem.
After recapping last year's sixteen-state spree of incidents, the announcement says, "with the fall of 2017 upon us, it is anticipated that similar 'creepy clown' sightings could be reported starting as soon as September."
State officials suggest this may coincide with the release of the new iteration of the film IT next weekend and are encouraging citizens to remain vigilant should they encounter any clowns.
Ironically, the movie adaptation of the haunting Stephen King novel is also being blamed for a backlash against clowns, themselves, with many professional performers saying that they've lost work because of people who are now frightened of them.
While these two trends appear unrelated for now, they could come together to form a combustible situation should out-of-work clowns start taking to the streets at the height of hysteria surrounding their 'creepy' counterparts making a return.
Source: Philly Voice / The Telegraph