Emily Flores
Most Halloween nights come and go with a few good costume photos and a lot of sugar. But sometimes, the night takes a turn for the worse. Trick-or-treating is mostly seen as innocent fun, but some stories prove it’s not always so simple. People still talk about these 20 stories long after Halloween ended.
1974 Pasadena, Texas Poisoned Candy Murder
It’s horrifying: a father weaponized the holiday. In 1974, Pasadena, Ronald Clark O’Bryan laced Pixy Stix with cyanide, murdering his own child. The motive was a cold, calculated life insurance payout. This atrocious act earned him the grim title, “The man who killed Halloween.”
2021 Fostoria, Ohio Needle In Candy
Fostoria police had to launch a frantic criminal investigation in 2021 because a child had bitten into a piece of trick-or-treat candy, only to discover a sewing needle deliberately embedded inside. The terrible find immediately triggered urgent, citywide warnings: check every single sweet.
2018 Meridian, Idaho Rat Poison In Treats
An alarming safety alert paralyzed Meridian, Idaho, in 2018. Reports surfaced that rat poison had been found among collected treats. Police moved fast to issue serious warnings, and thankfully, the scare was short-lived. A full investigation confirmed it was ultimately a baseless hoax.
2024 Columbus, New Jersey Metal In Candy Bar
Imagine a small slit in a Twix bar, revealing danger. In Columbus, New Jersey, a child was nearly hurt after metal was discovered lurking inside their Halloween treat. Mansfield Township Police acted quickly to secure the compromised Halloween candy and spread the word through social media.
2018 Shiremoor, UK Ecstasy Pills As Candy
They looked just like bright, tempting sweets. In Shiremoor, 2018, children’s bags contained something far deadlier: ecstasy pills. It was a shocking deception. Observant parents notified the police instantly, ensuring that swift action was taken before any tragic consumption occurred.
2011 Albany, Kentucky, Child Struck By Vehicle
While specific records for a 2011 Albany, Kentucky, pedestrian fatality are scarce, the overall danger was clear. Data proves children face triple the normal risk of being hit by a vehicle on Halloween, making it statistically the year’s most perilous night for young pedestrians.
2004 Boulder, Colorado Pornographic DVDs In Treats
The 2004 Boulder DVD scare demonstrates how quickly fear can grip a community. Reports of pornographic materials hidden in treat bags fueled widespread anxiety. Despite intense media coverage, the incident eventually faded and joined the long list of unverified Halloween urban legends.
2017 Wisconsin Methamphetamine In A Candy Bag
Panic surged through a Wisconsin community in 2017 when Methamphetamine was discovered mixed into a child’s Halloween bag. Police investigators ended up making an arrest, and the town of Keshena decided to reschedule another trick-or-treating event after this chaotic incident.
2018 High Wycombe, UK Acid Attack By Ghost-Costumed Assailant
What should’ve been a night of harmless fun turned into a real-life horror story in 2018. A person dressed in a ghost costume approached a group of teens and suddenly threw acid. The attack caused chaos and confusion, not just among the victims but also for investigators trying to piece together what happened.
1957 California Murder Disguised As Trick-Or-Treat
Detectives first approached Peter Fabiano’s 1957 Halloween murder as an unfortunate robbery. But it had been carefully planned by a woman named Joan Rabel, who manipulated her lover, Goldyne Pizer, into committing the crime against Peter due to jealousy. Both convicts were sentenced to 5 years in prison.
1973 Wisconsin Abduction And Loss Of Lisa French
The tragic loss of 9-year-old Lisa Ann French on Halloween night in 1973 marked a turning point for the city of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Since then, trick-or-treating has been strictly limited to daylight hours between 2:30 and 5:30 PM, ideally accompanied by an adult. Officials also advise kids to choose bright costumes for visibility purposes.
2014 Memphis, Tennessee, Drive-By Shooting Of Trick-Or-Treater
Seven-year-old Terez McClain was killed by drive-by gunfire, while another young trick-or-treater survived. He was walking with a group of children when gunfire erupted from a passing car. This was a gang-related shooting, and Terez was not the intended target. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
2019 Chicago Gang Shooting Injures Trick-Or-Treater
In 2019, Halloween night in Chicago became a nightmare for 7-year-old Giselle Zamago. She was out trick-or-treating with her family when another gang-related gunfire erupted nearby. A 15-year-old gang member had opened fire, aiming at a rival, but one of the bullets struck Giselle in the neck.
2008 Pennsylvania Boy Mistaken For Robber, Killed
An innocent act led to a fatal mistake in Pennsylvania in 2008. An eight-year-old trick-or-treater, hidden by a dark costume, approached a house. The homeowner, startled by the boy’s appearance and fearing a break-in, grabbed a gun and fired. It was a tragic, instantaneous collision of costume and armed home defense.
2024 Rowlett, Texas Shooting During Altercation
Fears for trick-or-treater safety spiked following initial 2024 shooting reports in Rowlett, Texas. Police investigation determined the gunfire stemmed not from conflicts among children, but from a personal dispute that unfolded, which ultimately escalated into violence during the evening’s trick-or-treating hours.
1990 Los Angeles Gang Confrontation Kills Trick-Or-Treater
Before 1990, Los Angeles’s Halloween focus was on candy safety. But everything changed after a gang crossfire tragically killed a young trick-or-treater, aged 7–9, who just happened to be there by chance. In the aftermath, community leaders pushed for stronger patrols, safer trick-or-treat zones, and renewed efforts to curb gang activity.
2012 Royton, UK Drug Mistaken For Sweets
What started as simple confusion spiraled into a public safety crisis. Donald Junior Green mistakenly handed out eight packets of illegal substances, believing they were Halloween sweets. When the police were informed, they acted quickly to recover the drugs before any child was harmed.
2021 Brooklyn, New York Armed Robbery By Fake Trick-Or-Treaters
Twilight in Brooklyn: Two armed criminals utilized the chaos of costumed revelers. They blended seamlessly among legitimate trick-or-treaters to steal from a resident at gunpoint. Law enforcement identified the deception quickly, intercepting and arresting both perpetrators after the crime.
2019 Lawrence, Massachusetts Teen Shoots Child Trick-Or-Treater
The festive atmosphere of Halloween night in Lawrence was shattered in 2019. A 15-year-old boy intentionally targeted and shot an 11-year-old collecting treats. According to reports and witness accounts, the teen had a personal dispute with the victim, and the targeted attack was rooted in a prior conflict between the two.
2021 Taylorsville, Utah Fatal Car Crash With Trick-Or-Treaters
Unverified 2021 reports alleged a car had struck trick-or-treating children in Taylorsville, Utah. Specific crash details remain cloudy, but regardless, the narrative alone sparked serious change and pushed the community to dramatically enhance pedestrian safety protocols during all future holiday festivities.