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People with coulrophobia might want to consider avoiding certain areas of Pierce County and areas of the North Sound, at least until there’s no more clowning around.

Pierce County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Ed Troyer says the department has received three separate reports of people dressed as clowns, lurking around the area.

“Scary-type clowns,” he said. “Either in the woods, by the road, or under a bridge.”

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The Tacoma News Tribune reports those reports come from the area of South Hill and Graham.

³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7 reports one person says they saw someone dressed as a clown at a gas station in Lynnwood; another saw one on a sidewalk.

“Saw a creepy clown on the sidewalk in Lynnwood/Edmonds area last night. Wasn’t trying to lure anyone from what I could tell, but still absolutely terrifying. He was on the ground on hands and knees waving to us as we passed by in cars at the street light,” the person told ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ 7.

Clown sightings began in the Carolinas. Parents were put on edge after about a half-dozen reports of the menacing clowns trying to lure children to wooded areas. Sightings have continued to grow in other states. Police have begun to arrest people in some states for false reports of clown attacks.

“It is a little unsettling to people in the area, because they’ve been reading about people doing this across the country,” Troyer said.

Troyer says it isn’t a safe thing to do, even if it’s a prank. reports the sheriff’s office is monitoring the sightings, but will not investigate unless it becomes a crime. That only way that will happen, Troyer says, is if a clown tries to lure someone, obstructs traffic, or if an attack is reported.

THP says watch for clowns trying to lure children in to the woods. They are possibly predators. Call 911 or *847

— TN Highway Patrol (@TNHighwayPatrol)