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BEIJING, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. discount retailer Target and fast-food chain McDonald's have taken action to tamp down on a recent rash of creepy clown sightings as Halloween approaches.
Target pulled some of its clown masks and costumes available for sale in U.S. stores and online amid a growing number of reports of individuals dressed as clowns or wearing clown masks to terrorize people.
"Given the current environment, we have made the decision to remove a variety of clown masks from our assortment, both in stores and online," said Joshua Thomas, a spokesperson for Target, in an email statement on Monday.
Similarly, McDonald's and its franchise owners have reduced the number of public appearances being made by performers dressed up as the burger chain's iconic hamburger-happy clown Ronald McDonald recently, the company said.
As a result of the "current climate around clown sightings in communities," the fast-food chain is being "thoughtful in respect to Ronald Mcdonald's participation in community events," the company said in a statement last week.
Reports about creepy clowns menacing people or trying to lure children into the woods began surfacing in late August in South Carolina, and have since spread to several other states, perplexing police and unnerving parents across the country.
In some states, schools have closed while officials investigated threats of violence from masked clowns on social media.
The phenomenon has created a stir on social media, generating hot discussions among Twitter users about how they would deal with a creepy clown sighting using hashtag #IfISeeAClown.
Moreover, the issue even managed to get the attention of the White House.
"Obviously, this is a situation that local law enforcement authorities take quite seriously and they should carefully and thoroughly review ... perceived threats to the safety of the community and they should do so prudently," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest when asked about the recent spate of creepy clown sightings.
