It started like a scene from a horror movie, but thankfully ended as a comedy.
A frightened Barrie resident called police just after midnight on Friday morning to report a masked person “lurking in the darkness” at the side of their house on Nelson Street.
“Responding officers were provided with continuous updates on the whereabouts of the person,” a Barrie police release relayed.
This morning, at 12:05 a.m., the Barrie Police Service received a report of a suspicious person lurking in the darkness…
For additional details, please see: https://t.co/JWNJv9Qn0C pic.twitter.com/tih0RnxNp6
— Barrie Police (@BarriePolice) October 17, 2025
The male suspect’s description was skin-crawling.
He donned a long black coat and was wearing some type of mask. Even more frightening — his hair was tied back in a man bun.
Officers rushed to the scene and quickly located the male.
It turns out, he was just the shaken resident’s neighbour getting a head start on Halloween.
“Upon arrival, the male was located and found to be wearing his Halloween costume and was simply trying it out,” Barrie police explained.
“Needless to say, the responding officers cleared a few minutes afterwards with the male being reassured that his costume selection was a good one and that his own neighbour didn’t recognize him.”
