Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) announced on Monday that the state of Ohio is moving resources in to secure Springfield schools after dozens of fake bomb threats were called against the facilities.
The move comes amid a racist right-wing conspiracy theory that Haitian migrants are abducting and eating people's cats and dogs. Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, have promoted these false claims.
"At least 33 separate bomb threats," said DeWine at a news conference. "Each one of which has been responded to and each one of whom has been found as a hoax. So 33 threats, 33 hoaxes, I will make that very, very clear. None of these had any validity at all."
DeWine, who has previously denied the rumors that preceded the threats across the city, added that out of an abundance of caution, "we've moved resources into Springfield."
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"I want to say to the parents in Springfield, these hoaxes of these, these threats have all been hoaxes, none of them have panned out," DeWine continued. "We have people unfortunately overseas who are taking these actions. Some of them are coming from one particular country. We think that this is you know, one more opportunity to mess with the United States and they're, they're continuing to do that."
DeWine did not specify which country was suspected of making the threats.
"We cannot let the bad guys win," DeWine added. "Our schools must remain open."
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