And now it’s Fort Collins with the clowns. Once again, self-perpetuating hoax.

Repeat after me: Do not be afraid of clowns and do not make false threats.

Fort Collins appears to be the latest place to follow a well-established pattern: Someone makes an anonymous threat on the internet. This threat involves images of clowns and promises of violence. Maybe someone in an actual clown suit shows up somewhere. Everyone loses their mind, but generally nothing comes of it except a criminal charge or two.

That’s what happened in Greeley this week, and now it’s in Fort Collins, where a threat on Facebook has parents keeping kids from school, according to the Coloradoan.

Local police say the emoticon-bedecked message resembles other messages that turned out to be hoaxes, but they are taking it seriously, the Coloradoan reports.

And, as a reminder:  Making false threats can get you arrested, no matter how much attention you generate. Two Greeley kids have reportedly been charged in the incident there.