Insane Clown Posse Says It\'s Investigating F.B.I. Gang Report

By DAVE ITZKOFF

The Detroit hip-hop duo Insane Clown Posse used the platform of its annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival to announce that it was pursuing an investigation into why its fans were classified as a gang in a report published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In a statement released over the weekend the Insane Clown Posse members, Joseph Bruce (who performs under the stage name Violent J) and Joseph Utsler (who goes by Shaggy 2 Dope), said they and their label, Psychopathic Records, had “retained legal counsel to investigate and pursue legal action including monetary compensation and/or other injunctive relief on behalf of their fan base.” Mr. Bruce added: “We're not attacking the F.B.I., but they got this wrong. The Juggalos are not a gang, and that needs to be fixed.”

Fans of Insane Clown Posse, one of several bands associated with a wider musical scene called horrorcore, call themselves Juggalos and som e paint their faces in the garish greasepaint favored by Mr. Bruce and Mr. Utsler. In a National Gang Threat Assessment report published by the F.B.I. in 2011, Juggalos are described as “a loosely-organized hybrid gang” that is “rapidly expanding into many US communities.”

The report says the crimes committed by Juggalos are “sporadic, disorganized, individualistic, and often involve simple assault, personal drug use and possession, petty theft, and vandalism,” adding that “a small number of Juggalos are forming more organized subsets and engaging in more gang-like criminal activity, such as felony assaults, thefts, robberies, and drug sale.” It cited examples of “a suspected Juggalo member” shooting and wounding a couple in Washington state, and “two suspected Juggalo associates” who were charged with beating and robbing a homeless man in a separate incident in Oregon. The text of the report is accompanied by a person described as a Juggalo mem ber wearing face paint and pointing a gun at a camera.

A media liaison for the F.B.I. did not immediately return a call seeking comment on Monday morning.

Mr. Utsler said in a statement: “It's been almost a year since Juggalos were put on the National Gang Threat Assessment and we are hearing too many stories from our fans about the trouble it's causing them. Just because you like a music group, doesn't make you a criminal.”

The band said it had established a Web site, www.juggalosfightback.com, where fans can provide information about harassment, arrests or denials of rights they may have experienced because of their affiliation with the band.