Freddy Krueger Halloween prank at Jacksonville day care has some parents upset

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s video that's been seen nationwide, and posted on pop culture websites such as Media Takeout and World Star Hip Hop. A day care volunteer in a Freddy Krueger mask is seen running in, shouting. The toddlers run away, spooked.

“It was basically a Halloween prank for the kids. Something funny,” parent Ebony Creech said.

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That prank happened at Shirley’s Victorious Learning Center on Jacksonville’s Westside. The owners say parents were aware of the festivities and that they've received no complaints.

“You only saw a few seconds of what happened. You couldn't see anything before. How it was story time. You couldn't see afterwards, how all the kids were around him, talking to him,” day care co-owner LaVeisha Burris said.

“They do this (activities) every holiday. Like any type of event, from birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween,” Creech continued.

Critics, however, say that while they appreciate the day care's care and involvement with the kids, this prank was too much for kids that young.

“My daughter, personally. She is epileptic, and I feel like something like that would have sent her into an episode,” parent Shagaria Moore said.

Action News Jax was there Monday as the kids came back from a field trip smiling and laughing. Although no laws were broken with the Freddy Krueger prank, some want better judgment to be used going forward.

“At the end of the day, harmless fun, but I do see where they could have been scared or trampled over,” parent Alvin Gibson said.

Action News Jax looked up the day care's record with the state, and saw no red flags. As of its last inspection in 2015, it was in full compliance.

Cox Media Group