Red noses, rosy cheeks and smiles were aplenty at 17th International Clown Convention in Mexico City, and although the vibrancy and good cheer filled the air, there was an ironic twist that overshadowed the event that didn't involve animal balloons or horns.

All clowning around aside, this year's convention occurs just a few days after gunmen disguised as clowns shot dead Francisco Rafael Arellano Felix, a former leader of a once-powerful drug cartel. The killing took place at a family party in Cabo San Lucas, Slate reports.

Participating clowns at the convention vehemently denied any link to drug violence, but how could they tell if the perpetrator really wasn't one of their own?

Supposedly, there are ways to tell who is a legitimate clown. According to one clown leader, "if a real member of the profession had been involved in the shooting, they would have been easily identifiable by their costumes, masks and painting."

"The people who do that, they're not clowns. I can swear on my mother's grave it wasn't a clown," Tomas Morales, whose stage name is Clown Llantom, told the AP.

Mexico isn't the only country to fall victim to this clown business; the United States had a clown-related murder case as well that shocked the Chicago area in the '70s.

John Wayne Gacy, dubbed the "Killer Clown" because he entertained kids at parties as "Pogo The Clown," was convicted of the torture, rape and murder of 33 males between 1972 until his arrest in 1978. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to death. On May 10, 1994, Gacy was executed by lethal injection.

Clown crimes aside, the 17th International Clown Convention has a positive, global appeal. The festive event draws clowns from all over Mexico and from several other countries in Latin America to Mexico City to take part in a four-day gathering designed to help them hone skills and professionalize their calling.

While the clowns are tooting their own horns and trying to learn how to bring joy and laughter to others, clowns are surprisingly getting a bad rap.

This isn't the first case that may bring a frown to a clown's face - if one hadn't already been painted on, however. Clowns are reportedly frequent victims of robberies and their costumes and masks are then used to commit other crimes.

Representative of what clowns are supposed to stand for, hundreds of clowns at the convention took part in a 15-minute "laugh-a-thon" for peace -- now how awesome is that? Americans should take a cue from them!