Crime & Safety
'Armed Clown' Threat Reports Cause Lockdowns at Colleges: Alerts
Students at UNH in Durham, Merrimack College in Massachusetts were reporting campus alerts tonight due to "clown" threats.
DURHAM, NH — Rumors of an armed clown at two area college campuses have caused fear and consternation online with students as dorms were reportedly locked down tonight and shelters opened and later closed, according to reports. Merrimack College in North Andover, MA, at just after 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, 2016, was put in lockdown after a report of a clown with a rifle stalking the campus, according to the student run newspaper and posts on Twitter. The lockdown was lifted at around 10:30 p.m.
At around 10 p.m., reports began being posted on Twitter that an armed clown was also seen at the University of New Hampshire. At least one dorm – Stoke Hall – and possibly others, were locked down, according to students.
There was someone dressed as a clown at UNH jumping out at freshmen and I could hear them scream all the way from my dorm
— Erika Shepherd (@shepherde18) October" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/shepherde1... 4, 2016
Erica Mantz, a spokesperson for UNH, stated that the school dealt with two separate incidents tonight. Stoke Hall was evacuated at around 10 p.m. for a report of an odor in the building. It was later determined that the odor was probably a discharge of pepper spray. The building was aired out and students were allowed back into the building, she noted.
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Clown at UNH, this shit is too much pic.twitter.com/zIrp0YF2kI
— Matt Kafel (@matt_kafel) October" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/matt_kafel... 4, 2016
At around 10:15 p.m., campus police were sent to the area of Christensen and Williamson halls for a report of a person in a clown costume armed only with a bullhorn, reportedly heckling people. When officers arrived, no one was found in the area, Mantz noted.
#unh talked to cop. The clown got chased away and then arrested. He was Christensen and Williamson and we r safe now. Enjoy your night pic.twitter.com/iYfavrm3PY
— Viq (@ickyviqee) October" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/ickyviqee/... 4, 201
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