The Springfield City Hall in Ohio was evacuated after a bomb threat, two days after former President Donald Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) spread wild conspiracy theories about immigrant Haitians stealing and eating local dogs and cats, reports the NY Daily News.
A Springfield City Spokesperson released a statement, notes WDTN:
City officials were alerted to this threat via an email message this morning at 8:24 am. The email was sent to multiple agencies and media outlets. 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. We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work through this matter.
The Haitian Times reports that local Haitian families have been victimized:
Aside from the anxiety caused by Tuesday night’s debate, the woman also said her cars have been vandalized twice in the middle of the night. She woke up one morning to broken windows and another to acid thrown on the vehicle. She’s added cameras to her driveway and tried to report the incidents to the police to no avail.
“I’m going to have to move because this area is no longer good for me,” she said. “I can’t even leave my house to go to Walmart. I’m anxious and scared.”
The families’ accounts, shared with The Haitian Times under conditions of confidentiality, are the latest tales of intimidation, bullying and assaults against Haitians as anti-Haitian sentiment has gone viral.
(Sources: WDTN, NY Daily News, The Haitian Times, Image: ABC News/YouTube)