Springfield, Ohio target of bomb threat after Trump claims Haitian immigrants eating cats and dogs

The city hall in Springfield, Ohio, is to remain closed today, Thursday September 12, in the wake of a bomb threat.

“Avoid the area surrounding City Hall”

In a statement issued on the municipal administration’s social media channels, a spokesperson said: “The City of Springfield received a bomb threat that has prompted an immediate response from local and regional law enforcement.

“As a precautionary measure, the building has been evacuated, and authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation. Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our employees and residents. We are working to address this situation as swiftly as possible.

“City officials were alerted to this threat via an email message this morning at 8:24 am. The email was sent to multiple agencies and media outlets.

“We ask the community to avoid the area surrounding City Hall vicinity while the investigation is ongoing and to report any suspicious activity to the Springfield Police Division.”

Per local media outlet WHIOTV7, a large police presence has formed around Springfield City Hall in the wake of the threat.

It remains unclear whether today’s bomb threat is related to recent, unsubstantiated online rumours that have thrust Springfield into the the national and international spotlight: claims that Haitian immigrants are stealing the pets of city residents and eating them.

Trump amplifies pet-eating claims

The rumours were repeated by former president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in November’s US presidential election, in Tuesday’s televised debate against Democratic opponent Kamala Harris.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said. “And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”

Springfield official blasts “disappointing” rumours

In response to the rumours, Springfield’s city manager, Bryan Heck, has told ABC News: “There have been no credible reports of specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

Heck also said: “It is disappointing that some of the narratives surrounding our city have been skewed by misinformation on social media and further amplified by political rhetoric in the current highly charged presidential election cycle.”

A city with a population of around 60,000, Springfield has experienced an influx of immigrants from Haiti in recent times, with a reported 15,000 Haitians settling in the area over the past three years.

Reacting to the accusations levelled at members of Springfield’s Haitian community, Ohio governor Mike DeWine told CBS News: “This is something that came up on the internet, and the internet can be quite crazy at times.”