Fearing clown attacks, little girl takes knife to school

Police say a fearful 11-year-old Georgia girl who took a knife to school told officers she needed the weapon to fend off clowns.

The girl was arrested Friday at Burney-Harris-Lyons Middle School in Athens according toThe Athens Banner-Herald amid reports and social media posts about clowns frightening children in Georgia and other states.

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According to a localpolice report,the girl said she needed the knife to protect her and her family because she had heard stories ofclowns jumping out of the woods and attacking children.

Police say they released the girl to her mother on a charge of possession of a weapon on school grounds.

Earlier this month residents in northeastern South Carolina told authorities they havespotted people dressed as menacing or unusualclowns on at least eight occasions, Reuters reported. However, investigators were unable to confirm any of those sightingsdue to varying descriptions.

In the town of Greenville, clowns were reportedly seen on the side of a road, outside a laundromat andin a residential backyard. Clowns have also been allegedlyluring children into the woods with cash. South Carolina law prohibits anyone over age 18 from dressing up as a clown.

Law enforcement officials are warning that people involved in clown hoaxes could be prosecuted.