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Two hospitals in Springfield – the Ohio city at the center of Trump’s false pet-eating claims – were placed on brief lockdowns after receiving bomb threats Saturday morning.
Both medical centers have resumed normal operations after police and hospital security found nothing suspicious during their search.
“The safety protocols we have in place for these instances allow us to work quickly with local law enforcement to investigate threats thoroughly and ensure the safety of our patients and staff,” Kettering Health Springfield said in a statement.
The other alleged target was Mercy Health’s Springfield Regional Medical Center, which went into lockdown after officials heard of the alleged bomb threat around 6am.
“One of our most important responsibilities is the safety and security of our patients, visitors, associates and physicians,” a spokesperson for the Springfield Police Division said.
Springfield has endured bomb threats targeting schools, city buildings, and other local institutions after the Ohio town was thrust into the spotlight earlier this week when former President Donald Trump brought up a racist conspiracy during the presidential debate that Haitian migrants were stealing and eating the pets in the community.
“They’re eating the dogs. They’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” he said on Tuesday as Kamala Harris’s expression flitted between shock and amusement.
Local authorities had already debunked the lies even before Trump peddled the narrative on the debate stage, with Springfield police saying there is no credible evidence to support the allegations.
