People near Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis., have been on edge over the last few weeks as sightings of people standing around at night while dressed as clowns continue to increase.
The first report was from earlier this month when police were notified of a person dressed as a clown in in the area of E. Main St. and N. Hartwell Ave, according to Daily Mail.
Officials identified the person responsible as a 15-year-old boy who they say is developmentally delayed. He reportedly likes to watch the reactions people have when he's dressed up and police have already been in communication with the teen and his family.
Rumors had emerged since the original sighting, with some saying the clown is actually a sex offender while others believed he is linked to Silly the Clown, a a former professional clown who was convicted of felony sexual assault, Waukesha Police Sgt. Jerry Habanek said. He noted that both rumors were untrue, adding that the teenager has no ill intent.
However, much to the chagrin of students and neighbors, reports of two more clowns began to surface Friday, according to ABC's Milwaukee affiliate WISN-TV.
One of the sightings was of a white-face clown wearing a white costume, which has remained unverified, while the second was of a person wearing a green jester-type costume.
Police have been unable to make contact with either reported clown, but they did find footprints where the clown with the jester costume was reported to be, Habanek said, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
While some are unnerved by the reported clown sightings, with some even calling for the police intervention, the people wearing the costumes aren't in trouble.
"None of the clowns are doing anything illegal," Habanek said. "It's all odd behavior...but it's not illegal behavior."
