Fact check: No evidence that a 'clown purge' is planned for the night before Halloween

The claim: A clown purge is planned for the night before Halloween

False rumors of a clown "purge" have popped up on social media for years, and one is again circulating widely.

A clown purge refers to evil clowns terrorizing people. It appears to be inspired by the "Purge" series of horror movies.

"Warning: Clowns are allegedly planning their own purge the night before Halloween. Stay inside, keep all pets inside and keep all doors and windows locked," reads the text of an Instagram post shared on Oct. 14. 

The Instagram user adds that the clown purge will "spread across towns and countries." The post generated close to 13,000 likes in a week.

Several social media users shared this claim. But it's false.

The claim has already been debunked by independent fact-checking organizations. 

Fact check: No blue moon for Halloween this year, contrary to online claims

Paste BN reached out to social media users who shared the claimfor comment. 

A clown purge will not be taking place on Oct. 30

Claims of a clown purge appear to stem from a years-old hoax. The claim has already been debunked by PolitiFact and Reuters. 

The hoax surfaced in Greenville County, South Carolina, in 2016 when children were telling their parents that a group of clowns who live in the woods were trying to terrorize them, according to the New York Times. Some residents also reported clown sightings to the police. However, no evidence was found to substantiate these rumors.

Fact check: Bill Gates didn't hand journalist a blank check on TV

The hoax led to people in several states making false reports about clown sightings, according to the Times. 

Snopes debunked the clown purge rumor in 2016 and another version of the rumor in 2017 that falsely claimed that the police were advising people to stay indoors and the Department of Homeland Security was recommending a curfew on Halloween night because of the clown purge. 

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that a clown purge is planned on Oct. 30. The claim, which appears to stem from a 2016 hoax, has already been debunked by independent fact-checking organizations.

Our fact-check sources:

• PolitiFact, Oct. 21, Old ‘clown purge’ warning spreads on social media again
• Snopes, Oct. 14, 2016, Clown Purge on Halloween
• Snopes, Oct. 20, 2017, Creepy Clowns Plan Halloween Night Purge, Cops Warn ‘Stay Inside’?
• Paste BN, Sept. 28, 2016, Serious or just a sick joke? What we know about creepy clown reports
• Vox, Oct. 12, 2016, The great clown panic of 2016 is a hoax. But the terrifying side of clowns is real.
• New York Times, Sept. 29, 2016, Creepy Clown Hoaxes Lead to 12 Arrests in Multiple States
• Time, Oct. 4, 2016, Everything You Need to Know About the 'Clown Attack' Craze
• New York Times, Aug. 30, 2016, Creepy Clown Sightings in South Carolina Cause a Frenzy
• Reuters, Oct. 27, Fact Check-Pre-Halloween ‘clown purge’ claims are long-running prank

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.