TOI World Desk
Several establishments at Ohio’s Springfield including the Springfield City Hall Thursday received bomb threat. Police confirmed the threats and said that some buildings were being evacuated due to an unspecified threat. The threat came as Republicans push conspiracy theories that Haitian immigrants who have settled at Springfield are stealing the pets of other residents and eating cats and ducks.The issue even got a mention at the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on Tuesday. However, the theory that Haitians were eating pets were dismissed by the police as they said they received no such complaints. While Republicans like Ohio senator JD Vance were accused of peddling fake news, they doubled down on the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration and its immigration policy.
According to local news, multiple city, county and school buildings were closed after they received the bomb threat. Springfield City Hall was evacuated at 8.30am, Springfield News Sun reported. Springfield mayor Rob Rue said everyone in the City Hall building was moved out. All Clark County buildings were also closed to the public, “out of an abundance of caution,” which includes all commission departments, the Department of Job and Family Services, the Common Pleas Court, the Board of Elections and the A.B. Graham Building, according to a statement released at 11:45 a.m. The county said it would update the public with more closures “as they become available.”
Schools were also evacuated on a priority.
The bomb threats were sent through email and officials did not confirm whether the rumors. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez said while the public awaits confirmation about the reason behind the threat, the right-wing attack is part of a larger patten Republicans that can lead to some consequences against the immigrants.
“There is a pattern of bomb threats, of mass shootings and of other violent targeting of these communities, and so when JD Vance or when Donald Trump intentionally distribute incredibly malicious and disgusting claims like about eating pets, etc, they are engaged in something that is more than just a harmful statement,” Ocasio Cortez told the press Thursday.
According to local news, multiple city, county and school buildings were closed after they received the bomb threat. Springfield City Hall was evacuated at 8.30am, Springfield News Sun reported. Springfield mayor Rob Rue said everyone in the City Hall building was moved out. All Clark County buildings were also closed to the public, “out of an abundance of caution,” which includes all commission departments, the Department of Job and Family Services, the Common Pleas Court, the Board of Elections and the A.B. Graham Building, according to a statement released at 11:45 a.m. The county said it would update the public with more closures “as they become available.”
Schools were also evacuated on a priority.
The bomb threats were sent through email and officials did not confirm whether the rumors. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez said while the public awaits confirmation about the reason behind the threat, the right-wing attack is part of a larger patten Republicans that can lead to some consequences against the immigrants.
“There is a pattern of bomb threats, of mass shootings and of other violent targeting of these communities, and so when JD Vance or when Donald Trump intentionally distribute incredibly malicious and disgusting claims like about eating pets, etc, they are engaged in something that is more than just a harmful statement,” Ocasio Cortez told the press Thursday.