Amid unfounded racist rumors, the small town of Springfield, Ohio, received 33 bomb threats in just a few days, Governor Mike DeWine of the northeastern state said at a news conference Monday.
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The rumors, spread on social media and by Republicans, claim that Haitian immigrants — who have arrived in the city by the thousands in recent years under a municipal plan to attract workers — are stealing cats, dogs and other pets to eat.
Despite denials from the police and authorities, the resumption of these rumors by Republican candidate Donald Trump during a televised debate contributed to reinforcing an extremely tense atmosphere in the city, with Haitians on the ground fearing racist violence.
All 33 threats received were proven to be false and “some came from one country in particular,” the governor said in Springfield, without naming it. “We believe this is another opportunity to disrupt the United States,” he added, without giving further details on the alerts received.
Schools and even the town hall were evacuated following these threats and the mayor claimed to have received death threats.
DeWine did not specify whether his tally also included threats of violent action and the bomb threat Monday at the Ohio Capitol in Columbus.
Two schools were evacuated in Springfield on Monday, according to local media, but authorities did not immediately give a reason for their closure.
The Republican governor, who has distanced himself from Donald Trump’s comments and the rumors relayed by members of his party, announced the deployment around the city’s schools of 36 police officers usually assigned to traffic checks in the state.
