15, prompting heightened security measures in the area.
12, Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott said in a press conference.
Clark County court facilities were cleared that day out of “an abundance of caution,” Elliott said.
The next day, students at two elementary schools were evacuated and transported to other locations in the district while a middle school was closed before the school day started, a Springfield City Schools spokesperson told reporters.
The evacuations were prompted by information the school district received from the Springfield Police Department about an unspecified threat.
Also, city of Springfield spokesperson Karen Graves said that city commissioners and a municipal employee were targeted by an emailed bomb threat. A second email threatened city hall, a school, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and a license bureau.
Springfield and Clark County authorities are working with local FBI agents to determine the origin of the emails, Elliott told reporters.
Springfield police also reported that a new round of bomb threats targeted two hospitals in the city on Sept. 14. The facilities were swept and cleared, police said.
“We understand the toll that this takes on our community. You know, we empathize and understand that this affects everybody in the community, but we remain committed to public safety,” Elliott told a Columbus TV station. “We have multiple resources in place to help us fully investigate these matters and ensure that we continue to remain committed to our public safety and the service to our community.”
On Sept. 14, the Haitian Times and the Haitian Community Help and Support Center organized an event with activists, Haitian residents, and media members to discuss the claims about immigrants killing and eating pets and wild animals.
Macollvie Neal, executive editor of the Haitian Times, said that the gathering was originally scheduled to occur in-person in Springfield but organizers chose to host a virtual event instead.
