Long Island teen allegedly chased by knife-wielding clown

LAKEVIEW, Long Island (WABC) -- Police on Long Island are investigating after a teenager reported being chased by someone dressed as a clown after school Wednesday.

Nassau County police say the victim left Malverne High School around 3 p.m. and passed the dead end of Clinton Avenue before heading through an alleyway leading to Jefferson Avenue in Lakeview.

Then, the 14-year-old was reportedly approached from behind by a stranger dressed in a purple clown costume with a white mask and red wig and carrying a large kitchen knife.

The victim ran from Jefferson Avenue to Langdon Boulevard, and when he looked back, the person dressed as a clown was no longer there.

The Malverne School District put out a message to parents telling them to notify police if they see anything suspicious.

"We've intensified all our patrols around schools," Nassau police Detective Lieutenant Richard LeBrun said. "All patrols know that if they have schools on their post, make sure you're around there around dismissal time."

Authorities say all these creepy clown sightings have people on edge, and they're concerned the entire thing could get out of hand.

"It's already on Facebook," LeBrun said. "People are daring these clowns to come near them, because there might be some kind of retaliation. So that we don't want to see."

Police said the suspect was about 6 feet tall with a thin build.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 1-800-244-TIPS.