What to know about the threats in Springfield, Ohio, after false claims about Haitian immigrants

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A small Ohio city has been inundated with hoax bomb threats since last week’s presidential debate, when former President Donald Trump falsely accused members of Springfield’s Haitian community of abducting and eating cats and dogs.

Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, has amplified debunked internet rumors about Haitian migrants as the Republican ticket criticizes the immigration policies of President Joe Biden’s administration that are supported by Trump’s Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris. City officials acknowledge growing pains from the influx of some 15,000 Haitian immigrants, but say there’s no evidence to support the claim they are consuming anyone’s pets.

More than 30 bomb threats have been made against schools, government buildings and city officials’ homes since last week, forcing evacuations and closures. Springfield also canceled its annual celebration of diversity, arts and culture in response to the threats, and on Tuesday, state police were deployed to city schools.

Here are some things to know about the situation in Springfield:

Foreign actors, primarily. That’s according to Ohio’s governor, Republican Mike DeWine, who revealed that most of the threats are coming from overseas. The governor’s office says a criminal investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies determined the “vast majority” of

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