A bomb threat received by officials in Springfield, Ohio triggered the evacuation of City Hall, just days after former President Donald Trump claimed that the immigrants there have been abducting and eating the residents’ pets.
The threat landed in the email inboxes of “multiple agencies and media outlets” on Thursday around 8:23 a.m., prompting “an immediate response from local and regional law enforcement,” according to a post shared on the city government’s Facebook page.
By around 8:30 a.m., City Hall was emptied of people as a “precautionary measure,” and members of the community have since been asked to avoid the area as an investigation into the matter continues.
“Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our employees and residents,” officials said. “We are working to address this situation as swiftly as possible.”
The City of Springfield has recently been thrust into the national spotlight, specifically over baseless claims made on social media suggesting Haitian immigrants in the area have been stealing people’s pets for food. On Tuesday, Trump amplified the conspiracy theory on live television during his first debate faceoff against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs — the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
When confronted by moderators, who told him no such thing had been confirmed, Trump doubled down, telling them he’d seen it on television.
The former president’s comments echoed those made earlier this week by Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. He touched on the unfounded rumors in a post on X, which has been viewed by 11.3 million people as of Thursday.
“Months ago, I raised the issue of Haitian illegal immigrants draining social services and generally causing chaos all over Springfield, Ohio,” he wrote. “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country. Where is our border czar?”
Other Republicans shared similar posts, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who used an image of wide-eyed kittens and a caption that said to vote for Trump “So Haitian immigrants don’t eat us.”
In response, officials in Springfield have pushed back against the pet-eating claims, emphasizing that they have no evidence to corroborate them.
“In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community,” Springfield city manager, Bryan Heck, said.
Authorities in the city have not said whether the bomb threat was related in anyway to the unfounded rumors.
With News Wire Services