The 2016 clown sightings were reports of people disguised as evil clowns in incongruous settings, such as near forests and schools. The incidents were reported in the United States, Canada, and subsequently in other countries and territories from August 2016.[1][2][3][4][5] The sightings were first reported in Green Bay, Wisconsin in what turned out to be a marketing stunt for a horror film. The phenomenon later spread to many other cities in the US, most notably South Carolina where a 9-year-old boy told his mother that two suspicious males dressed as clowns tried to lure him into the nearby woods.[6] By mid-October 2016, clown sightings and attacks had been reported in nearly all U.S. states, 9 out of 13 provinces and territories of Canada, and 18 other countries.