A bomb threat triggered a significant police response in Springfield, Ohio, on Thursday morning, according to the city commission office.
The threat was emailed “to multiple agencies and media outlets,” the office reported.
Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott stated that police, with the help of explosive-detecting K-9 units, cleared several locations mentioned in the threat, including two elementary schools, City Hall, and multiple driver’s license bureaus. As a precaution, county court facilities were also evacuated.
The FBI is assisting local authorities in identifying the source of the threat, Elliott added.
Although it remains unclear if there’s a connection, the threat follows the spread of baseless online rumors after viral social media posts falsely claimed that Haitian migrants in Springfield were abducting pets to eat them. These rumors were amplified by right-wing figures, including former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance.
“People in Springfield are eating the dogs,” Trump claimed during Tuesday night’s presidential debate. “The migrants are eating the cats, they’re eating pets that belong to the residents.”
A spokesperson for the city of Springfield told media that these allegations are false and that there have been “no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”
The spokesperson further clarified that there have been “no verified reports of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of homes” or “disrupting traffic intentionally.”
Springfield estimates that there are approximately 12,000 to 15,000 immigrants living in the county, drawn by affordable living costs and job opportunities. However, the rapid population growth has strained resources like housing, healthcare, and schools. City officials emphasized that the migrants are in the country legally, with many holding Temporary Protected Status.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance condemned the “baseless and inflammatory” claims targeting Haitian migrants, stating that such rhetoric “not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes but also contributes to the dangerous stigmatization of immigrant communities, particularly Black immigrants from Haiti.”
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine also refuted the rumors earlier this week and promised to provide additional state resources to support Springfield.
