Halloween is a holiday that can be celebrated by all, through trick-or-treating, partying, having a night in watching scary movies, handing out candy, etc. But, just like the movies, that picture perfect ending does not always happen.

      On Halloween night itself, there is the increased risk of never knowing who’s around you. Everyone is dressed up; some people even wear masks. According to emcsecurity.com, “Any increase in crime could also be explained by the hours when people are out and about. Statistically, most violent crimes occur between 7 pm and 1 am, peaking at 10 pm—the times also favored by trick-or-treaters on Halloween.” The article continues saying, “According to data acquired by Travelers Insurance in 2016, crime-related insurance claims spiked by 24% on October 31st.”

      The most increase is in crimes such as “property crime. And while vandalism is indeed common, 60% of these claims involved theft from the home, including breaking and entering, whether you’re there or not,” according to emcsecurity.com. And, according to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “40% of car accident fatalities on Halloween night are due to drinking and driving.”

     While you should always be aware of your home, there is also more to Halloween violence than just the scary night. The idea of copycat killers has existed for ages. According to merriam-webster.com, a copycat is “one who imitates or adopts the behavior or practices of another.” There have been many cases of this, but one case that happened on Oct. 4, 2012, was taken by inspiration by fictional killer Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise.

       Jake Evans, who at the time was 17-years-old, “had been inspired, he wrote, by Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake of Halloween, particularly the part where a ten-year-old Michael Myers calmly kills several people. He watched it three times,” according to dallasobserver.com. The article continues that Evans wrote, “While watching it, I was amazed at how at ease the boy was during the murders and how little remorse he had,” according to NBC 5. “Afterward, I was thinking to myself it would be the same for me when I kill someone.”

      While the range of acts can be as little as property damage to major life-altering acts like murder, Halloween night and the scary stories don’t give you reason to make reckless decisions.