Daycare Workers Face Felony Charges After Viral Video Reveals Them Scaring Kids With Halloween Masks

Video of five daycare workers terrorizing small children with a scary mask similar to the one seen in the Scream movie franchise has gone viral, resulting in criminal charges. An undated video shows a daycare worker wearing a mask terrorizing children who are screaming, crying, and even frozen scared at Lil' Blessings Child Care and Learning Center in Hamilton, Mississippi. "Are you being bad? Do I need to take you outside?" a masked daycare worker is heard shouting as a child tries to bury their face in their arms. "We are supposed to be cleaning up, monster," the woman filming the video says at one point to the mask-wearing woman who stalks the screaming children.

Authorities took action after learning what happened at the daycare center. "On Monday October 17, 2022 the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the County Prosecuting Attorney, and the District Attorney met with the parents of the children involved in the incident at Lil' Blessings Child Care and Learning Center and informed them of the possible criminal charges the law would allow them to pursue," said Monroe County Sheriff Kevin Crook in a statement regarding the incident. "Parents were also given an opportunity to share information they had gathered with MCSO Investigators." Monroe County Justice Court received at least one felony child abuse affidavit from parents on Wednesday, and a judge on Thursday issued warrants against five daycare workers on behalf of multiple families.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the offenders are Sierra McCandless, Oci-Anna Kilburn, Jennifer Newman, Shyenne Shelton, and Traci Hutson. McCandless, Kilburn, Newman, and Shelton all face three counts of felony child abuse for their roles in the incident, while Hutson faces two misdemeanor charges of failure to report abuse and simple assault against a minor. The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear whether the suspects have obtained legal representation. "I was in complete shock of what I witnessed," said Katelyn Johnson, mother of a Lil' Blessings student, told ABC News. "Whether they had a mask on or a mask off, their behavior was unacceptable. My blood pressure was raised. It broke my heart for my child. I was angry. I hope you're enjoying jail and I hope you realize what you have done is serious," Johnson continued. "It is not a joke and it is nothing to laugh at." In an interview with ABC News, Alyssa Hayes, the mother of a young girl at the center, agreed with Johnson's sentiments. "I want them to see the terror on her face because that is what I see every night," she said.