Target halts clown-mask sales...

The Washington Post reports that Target will stop selling clown masks amid a rash of reported clown attacks — real and fake — that have terrorized the United States in recent months.

All of the company’s stores have pulled the masks “out of sensitivity for the issue at hand,” Target spokesman Joshua Thomas told the newspaper. Target has 1,799 stores in the United States, according to its corporate site.

The company also has stopped selling masks on its website. On Monday morning, searches for “clown masks” on Target.com turned up nothing. Links from search engines to clown masks that Target previously stocked simply led to a message that said “product not available.” Shown here is one mask that was previously for sale on Target.com but has now been pulled.

Clown costumes for children, oversize clown suits and “sexy clown” outfits are, however, apparently still available for sale. The retail giant’s decision, just two weeks before Halloween, comes as the frenzy over “creepy clown” sightings and threats has reached a fever pitch. And across the country, scary-clown rumors have led to school lockdowns and arrests.