Oakland schools targeted in social media clown threats

Oakland school district police chief Jeff Godown said the district “will be monitoring the situation closely and providing extra patrols to the schools named in the rumors and all schools in general,” despite the fact the district believes the messages to be hoaxes. less Oakland school district police chief Jeff Godown said the district “will be monitoring the situation closely and providing extra patrols to the schools named in the rumors and all schools in general,” ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Oakland schools targeted in social media clown threats 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Oakland Unified joined the long list of school districts across the country targeted by creepy clowns, with social media messages threatening violence and naming specific schools.

District officials said they reported the messages to local law enforcement, although none of the clown threats across the country have been deemed credible.

“The security of our students and staff is our top priority,” said district Police Chief Jeff Godown. “We will be monitoring the situation closely and providing extra patrols to the schools named in the rumors and all schools in general.”

They believe the messages to be hoaxes.

The creepy clown mania has swept the nation, with schools and communities reporting threats made by clowns or sightings of folks in clown costumes.

Schools in Fairfield and Sacramento have also received menacing messages from clowns.

Two schools in Puyallup, Wash., were placed on lockdown Tuesday after a sighting of a clown. A 16-year-old female student was arrested in connection with the incident.

The recent clown craze appears to originate in Greenville County, S.C., after locals reported clowns attempting to lure children into the woods.

The reports stirred up a national case of coulrophobia and what appear to be copy-cat clown threats.

Hoping to allay ongoing fears, a Maryland Shriners Club’s clown group decided to skip a scheduled parade appearance, according to the New York Times.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker