Threat Of Clowns Leads To School Lockdown

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IRONDALE, AL (CBSMiami/P) — Creepy clowns strike again or did they?

On Monday, Shades Valley High School in Irondale, Alabama, about 7 miles east of Birmingham, was put on precautionary lockdown after a student posted on Facebook hinting that clowns might show up to the school.

Irondale police Officer James Lewis they spoke with the student who reported the Facebook posts, which have since been removed. A school resource officer, says "there was no threat."

Lewis says the soft lockdown was a precaution only, and there was no disruption to classes.

Similar incidents have been reported throughout Alabama and across the southeast.

Last week, several posts from the Facebook page of a group known as the 'Flomo Klowns' led to a temporary lockdown of two other Alabama schools. After confirming the threat, the Escambia County School District put Flomaton High School and Flomaton Elementary School in Atmore.

The lockdown was lifted when police determined the threats weren't credible. They added that the Klowns had also posted cryptic threatening messages to students who attend schools in Georgia and North Carolina.

Earlier this month, two creepy clown sightings were reported in North Carolina.

On September 4th, two children said they saw the clown trying to lure kids into the woods in a Winston-Salem with treats.

One one adult reported hearing the clown.

Extra police patrols combed the woods but found no evidence of a clown.

About four hours later, a caller who refused to give a name reported seeing a clown about 2 miles away. Police say again they found no evidence of a clown.

Several unverified clown sightings in northern South Carolina have been in the news recently.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)