According to NBC News, 33 bomb threats have been made in Springfield, Ohio, leading to school closures. This comes after former President Donald Trump claimed Haitian migrants were eating local pets, although no evidence of this is available. Local investigators are assessing these threats. The local City Hall has also been subject to these threats amid rising tension in the city. These threats have caused multiple evacuations and fear among residents.
Springfield School Bomb Threats
The NBC News reporters noted that public schools were subjected to forced closures on September 13, 2024, which was a precaution after these bomb threats. Elementary schools, Perrin Woods and Snowhill, were evacuated. NBC News also disclosed that a spokesperson for the school district, Jenna Leinasars, said that the students were “evacuated from their buildings to an alternate district location.” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine stated, “Our children deserve to be in school; parents deserve to feel that their children are being educated and that their children are safe,” in a comment about the bomb threats.
The bomb threats were sent via email to government buildings in the city. The schools threatened were Cliff Park High School, Perrin Woods Elementary School, and Roosevelt Middle School. These schools were evacuated to ensure the safety of the children.
Government officials have not elaborated on the nature of the threats or what they entailed but have confirmed that they were all hoaxes and that there was no credible danger. The local police department is working with the FBI to discover where the email threat originated. The specific content of the email was not disclosed.
Local Government Buildings
The school threat emails were only the second round of emails to be sent that contained bomb threats. Multiple municipal buildings in Springfield were also evacuated due to bomb threats. The city issued a statement when City Hall received a bomb threat, divulging that the threat was “issued to multiple facilities throughout Springfield.” The statement continued, “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.”
Six buildings, including the three schools, were closed due to these threats, creating fear in the community. City spokesperson Karen Graves made a statement about the threats: “As a precaution, all affected buildings have been evacuated. With the support of explosive detection canines, authorities have conducted thorough inspections and cleared the facilities listed in the threats.
The Reason for the Threats
While the emails have not been released to the general public, the mayor of Springfield has disclosed the cited reason for the threats within the email. Mayor Rob Rue shared that the threatening individual claimed to be a Springfield resident and cited their anger to be due to the myth about Haitian migrants eating pets.
This misinformation was initially propagated by former President Donald Trump‘s running mate, J.D. Vance. The rumors were then repeated by the former president during a presidential debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on ABC News. The news anchors on the station did fact-check former President Trump before moving forward with the debate, but he doubled down on it. Multiple sources in Springfield have reported that the claims are untrue.
Mayor Rue made a statement about the claims, saying, “Springfield is a beautiful community, and your pets are safe in Springfield, Ohio. We’ve made that known publicly, and we’re asking people to understand and believe the reports that we’re sharing with them.”
Conclusion
The local government officials are working to determine where the email threats came from and hold whoever made them responsible. This recent school closure was the second consecutive day that children had to miss school for their safety. Many residents of Springfield are nervous about the threats and scared for their children and their own lives, especially the Haitian migrants.
