MINNEAPOLIS — Target has removed several scary clown masks from store shelves and its website.
“Given the current environment, we have made the decision to remove a variety of clown masks from our assortment, both in stores and online,” Target spokesperson Joshua Thomas told WCCO.
The announcement comes after multiple reports of people dressed as clowns attempting to lure children into the woods. Over the past few months, people wearing creepy clown masked have been accused of terrorizing the public in over 20 states.
Target said they began pulling the masks last week and removed several masks from its online Halloween store.
“You’ll still find clown masks there, but we made the decision to pull back on the number,” a spokesperson told ABC News.
Clown costumes and less frightening masks are still being sold in stores and online.
“Clown mask sales are up more than [300%] from a year ago the same period online,” Brad Butler of national Halloween costume chain Halloween Express told Eye Opener on October 4.
“In the top 10, eight of them are ‘evil’ clown masks this season whereas last year, five of the top 10 were ‘evil,’” Butler said.
Eye Opener also reached out to national Halloween pop-up store chain Spirit Halloween. They declined to comment on their sales, citing a policy not to comment on ongoing police investigations.
Walmart and Party City didn’t immediately respond to Eye Opener’s response for preliminary sales data.
