Last year, a 12-year-old girl nearly was stabbed to death by two classmates in order to please Slenderman, a fictional Internet-based bogeyman. Now some Wisconsin residents are shocked that Halloween costumes of Slenderman are being sold in their state.

“I think the stores could do a better job choosing their costumes for kids to not promote violence,” Chris Sobczak told Milwaukee’s WITI-TV. Party City and Spirit Halloween both sell the costumes for about $40.

Halloween Express, on the other hand, does not stock the Slenderman costume in Wisconsin. “We don’t mind scary, but we try not to be sick,” said Jon Majdoch, who owns Halloween Express. “I have two daughters, and I try to run my business so they would be proud. We try and carry a selection of stuff that is appropriate for families and having fun.” (USA Today)

Paul Asay has written for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for PluggedIn and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He recently collaborated with Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, on his book The Good Dad. He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.