Police investigate clown pranks at Pocatello High School

POCATELLO — The creepy clown craze sweeping the nation has made its way to east Idaho in the form of two pranks Tuesday at Pocatello High School.

Pocatello Police Sgt. Trent Whitney tells EastIdahoNews.com a student posted a selfie inside the school on social media. She photoshopped a clown into the photo and instantly shared it with her friends.

Whitney says the student didn’t meant to cause harm or create any problems, but another student used the image to create a hoax and told friends that the school was under threat.

Police were able to track the second student down, and he confirmed that he made the hoax up.

“Nobody was ever in danger and our investigation shows there was never a threat,” Whitney says. “It looks like these were students playing pranks.”

For the past several months, creepy clowns have been frightening Americans, with sightings of actual clowns in at least 10 different states.

CNN reports some of these clowns have tried to lure women and children into the woods, chased people with knives and machetes, and yelled at people from cars.

So far, Whitney says there have been no credible reports of actual creepy clowns in Pocatello.

The Idaho Falls Police Department, Rexburg Police Department and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office say they haven’t received any reports either.

“We will investigate any credible threats and it’s probably a good idea not to dress up as a clown right now,” Whitney says.