SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — The state of Ohio deployed state police to Springfield schools on Tuesday in response to a series of bomb threats – the expansive majority of which authorities said came from out of state – after former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, falsely claimed that legal Haitian immigrants in the compact town were eating dogs and cats.
Schools, government buildings and politicians’ homes in Springfield were the target of more than 30 bogus threats last week, forcing evacuations and closures. Two more schools had to be evacuated on Monday. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said a foreign actor was largely responsible, but declined to name the country.
“The vast majority of bomb threats came from abroad. Not 100%, but the vast majority,” Dan Tierney, DeWine’s spokesman, said Tuesday.
Tierney said a criminal investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies has provided information about the origin of the bomb threats. He did not elaborate on how investigators determined they came from another country, nor would he name the country because that could lead to more threats.
“These are mostly foreign actors, not people from the community or any other part of the United States,” he said. “We think this is useful because it shows that the assumption that you can safely send your children to school is wrong. And we are providing additional patrol support to make sure people feel safe in school.”
DeWine announced Monday that he would send dozens of Ohio State Highway Patrol members to keep schools open. Two Highway Patrol officers have been assigned to each of the Springfield City School District’s 18 schools, said Jenna Leinasars, a district spokeswoman.
“Police officers will search the buildings for threats before school starts and again after school ends. In between these searches, police officers will be stationed in the building throughout the day,” she said.
On Tuesday morning, state police were seen at a middle school, dropping off students as usual.
Thousands of Haitian immigrants have settled in the predominantly white, blue-collar city of about 60,000 people in recent years, about 70 kilometers from the state capital of Columbus. They have found work in factories and warehouses where there were previously few vacancies. The sudden influx has overwhelmed schools, health facilities and municipal services and driven up housing costs.
DeWine called on the federal government to do more to assist cities like Springfield, but he and city officials repeatedly refuted online rumors that Trump spread during last week’s presidential debate and that Vance repeated.
City officials said Tuesday that the false claims about Haitians had “significant impacts on our community, causing unnecessary fear, division and financial stress” and disrupting school operations.
“Unsubstantiated claims, including sensational rumors, have resulted in increased costs and financial damage to the city as we have been forced to allocate resources to resolve these falsehoods and maintain the peace and unity we work so hard to promote,” Springfield spokeswoman Karen Graves said in a statement.
___
Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania.
