HAMMOND, Ind. – As sightings of creepy clowns continue across the country, police in northwestern Indiana announced the arrest of a 16-year-old high school student accused of threatening area schools.
The Hammond Police Department received screenshots Tuesday of Facebook messages made by someone masquerading as a clown named “Izzy Woods.” The messages contained threats against Hammond High School, Eggers Middle School and Hammond Gavit students, police said.
As a result, information technology personnel at the school and Hammond police investigators monitored internet usage at the school. On Wednesday they identified a student who was using the clown persona to make threats against Hammond High School students as well as students at a school in Utah.
Investigators traced the threats to the Hammond High School student’s Chromebook laptop computer. The student was summoned to the principal’s office to turn over the computer; investigators confirmed the threats came from the student’s laptop.
Police arrested the student for intimidation and referred the case to Lake County Juvenile Court.
Hammond police said there is no specific, credible information that any students in the school system are in danger from any Facebook clown threats.
The department said off-duty officers who work at the schools and other personnel will continue to monitor for any threats.
Anyone with further information can call the Hammond Police Department at (219) 852-6326.
