Fulton County Schools, police investigate 'creepy clown' threats

Fulton County Schools are on high alert after reports this week of threats made on social media warning of potential clown attacks throughout the district.

School officials released a precautionary letter Thursday saying they have heard from parents who said their children are notifying them of clowns threatening to commit crimes at local schools. The letter goes on to say those threats have been posted to Instagram and other social media platforms over the past few weeks.

A list of those Fulton County Schools referenced in the threats on social media was not made available by district officials Friday.

"While we believe the messages to be hoaxes, we will nonetheless take any threat towards our students and staff seriously and have been extra-vigilant," wrote Shannon Flounnory, executive director of safety and security for the school district.

The school district's dilemma ties into a larger and recent national trend  of people dressing as clowns and making death threats on popular social media outlets. Atlanta Public Schools investigated clown threats in that district last month.

With Halloween weeks away, the Fulton County Schools police department is now working with local authorities to keep tabs on any potential clown attack threats.

The Milton Police Department released a similar notice on its Facebook page yesterday asking residents to keep an eye out for possible "creepy clown" threats.