Belmont, North Carolina, officials are taking action in response to growing fear about scary clown sightings across the United States by banning adults from wearing clown costumes at the city's Halloween event.
Emily Gaddis, who was with her daughter at Stowe Park, said she's OK with banning the costume at this year’s Boo Festival.
"As a mother, I would say, just you got to take everything seriously,” she said. “As crazy as it is, you can't blame people for doing what they're doing."
Suspicious clown sightings and threats have been reported around the Carolinas, but most reports have proved unfounded.
However, police arrested Travis Pressley of Indian Trail more than a week ago; he was wearing clown makeup, had a hatchet and marijuana and would not leave a convenience store, officers said.
Target has pulled clown masks off store shelves and online just weeks before Halloween.
A spokesman for the retailer said the decision was made because of the "creepy clown" scare that has been gripped the nation.
Morris Costumes on Monroe Road in Charlotte had plenty of costumes for sale, and staffers said they're going to keep them in stock.
Owner Sean Morris said his clown costume sales are up.
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