LARGO, Fla. (WFLA) – A clown proved no laughing matter outside Largo Middle School Friday morning.

“I seen a clown over by the track. We were coming out of class and like all of the kids were crying. They were screaming. They were yelling everything, and I don’t know, I seen it though,” eighth-grader Kayanna Foster.

Kayanna says the clown frightened the students who saw it. “It had red wings and it had like this white mask and a blue nose and it had yellow hair sticking out of it. I thought I was going to die honestly. I was like scared, and they wouldn’t even let us call our parents and stuff,” she said.

Kayanna called her mother, who was outraged the school didn’t immediately go into lockdown.

“I was terrified. I don’t know what was going on and I called the school and was basically told, ‘It’s a rumor. It’s okay.’ No, it’s not okay,” Foster.

Pinellas County School District officials say the school resource officer and responding officers to the school were not able to locate anyone dressed as a clown.

An automated message was sent to parents to warn them of the incident.

Meanwhile, there have been at least four reports of creepy clowns in Pasco County. The sightings have occurred in Hudson, Port Richey and Holiday. Sheriff Chris Nocco says his deputies are taking the reports very seriously.

Deputies say the subjects also create Facebook profiles and request teenage users as friends. In one post, a clown requested that a juvenile met him at a park at night, according to PCSO.

Nocco says he wants people to report any suspicious activity because some of the clown reports have included threats. Subjects dressed as clowns are associating themselves with “evil, murder, rape and violent acts,” according to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

“If something is going on out there and you see something, where there is people dressed up like clowns, you’re fearful or you think criminal activity is going on, please notify us immediately. We’re going to go out there,” said Nocco, who also reminded citizens people who file false reports will be charged.

The sheriff expressed concerned someone in a clown outfit could get hurt.

“We see it on our social media; there are a lot of residents out there, a lot of citizens that are fed up. And they’re saying if one of these clowns come on to my property, they’re gonna get shot,” he said.

Ridgewood High School ninth-grader Alexis Keiper showed News Channel 8 Facebook posts filled with scary pictures of creepy clowns. “It gets serious where they post screen shots of the, basically the clowns threatening them,” said Alexis, who is afraid to walk to her bus stop.

Her mother revealed what some of the posts said.

“I will kill you tonight,” one posts reads. Another says, “I’m gonna come to your house tonight.”

“Some of them saying that, telling kids that they’re gonna die tonight and, ya know, meet me at certain places. That’s concerning,” Vicki Yeakel said.RELATED: