Philadelphia police are searching for a man who has been chasing and threatening residents while wearing a frightening doll mask, in a series of incidents near City Hall last week. Authorities say he approached at least six people, making menacing remarks, including asking one woman if she was "ready to die", before fleeing. He faces charges including terroristic threats and simple assault once identified, and police have released photos and video footage in an appeal for public help.

In one incident on 12 August, at around 5:30am local time, the masked man chased a woman during her morning run, making threatening comments while holding one hand behind his back, which caused her to stumble and injure herself before he escaped into an underground rail station. Police noted he appeared to be filming the encounters on his phone, and it remains unclear whether the incidents are linked to a social media trend. One witness, Luanda Marinho, described being asked to "race" the masked man while out running with a friend, calling the encounter "weird" and "like some twisted game", and said she is now considering changing her running route.