Bomb threats made in Springfield, Ohio shutter schools as tensions rise over migrant influx
Bomb threats forced two elementary schools in Springfield, Ohio to evacuate for a second consecutive day on Friday — as tensions in the community escalate over an influx of an estimated 20,000 Haitian migrants into the small town of about 60,000. Students at Perrin Woods and Snowhill Elemenatry Schools in Springfield were evacuated and moved to an alternate district location, a school district spokesperson told NBC News, adding that Roosevelt Middle School had already shuttered prior to the start of the school day. “As a precaution, all affected buildings have been evacuated,” city spokesperson Karen Graves said in a statement.“Authorities, with the support of explosive detection canines, have conducted thorough inspections and cleared the facilities listed in the threats.”Bomb threats were also made via email to several city commissioners and a municipal employee, with a second email threatening additional locations, including Springfield City Hall, Cliff Park High School, Perrin Woods Elementary School, Roosevelt Middle School and the Bureau of MotorVehicles and the Ohio License Bureau Southside, Graves told the outlet.
The origin of these emails is under investigation by local police and FBI agents based in Dayton, Graves said.The spotlight on Springfield, Ohio was amplified this week after former President Donald Trump declared during Tuesday’s presidential debate that Haitian migrants in Springfield had been abducting and eating pets.“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs.
The people that came in, they’re eating the cats.They’re eating — they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” the Republican presidential nominee said.When pressed by debate moderator David Muir about denials from local officials, Trump claimed, “the people on television say their dog was eaten by the people that went there.”Republicans have pointed to photos and reports of wild ducks or geese allegedly being taken by migrants and to an inc...