An Ohio father has pleaded with Donald Trump to stop exploiting his son's death for "political gain" after a tragic school bus crash caused by a Haitian immigrant.
Aiden Clark, 11, died in August 2023 when a school bus overturned in Springfield, Ohio.
The incident has thrust the small town into the national spotlight following unfounded claims by the Trump campaign about Haitian immigrants in the area.
On Tuesday, Mr Trump's running mate JD Vance mentioned Aiden in a social media post, claiming that "a child was murdered by a Haitian migrant".
Aiden's father, Nathan Clark, expressed his distress at a city commission meeting on the same day. "They have spoken my son's name and used his death for political gain. This needs to stop now," he said.
"My son was not murdered. He was accidentally killed by an immigrant from Haiti," he continued.
"This tragedy has felt all over this community, the state and even the nation. But don't spin this towards hate."
Mr Trump has also faced criticism for repeating a debunked claim that Haitian immigrants have been eating domestic pets in Springfield.
During the televised presidential debate on Tuesday evening, the Republican nominee said: “In Springfield, they're eating the dogs.
“The people that came in, they're eating the cats. They are eating the pets of the people that live there.” Democrat candidate Kamala Harris shook her head, laughed and seemed to say, “What?”
The baseless theory has been pushed by several other Republicans, including Mr Trump's running mate JD Vance.
Mr Clark added: "I wish that my son, Aiden Clark, was killed by a 60-year-old white man. I bet you never thought anyone would ever say something so blunt.
“But if that guy killed my 11-year-old son, the incessant group of hate spewing people would leave us alone."
In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who've said their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 10, 2024
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The fatal crash occurred when a van driven by Hermanio Joseph, a Haitian immigrant without a valid driver's licence, crossed the centre line and collided with Aiden's school bus.
The impact caused the bus to overturn, resulting in Aiden's death and injuries to several other children.
Joseph was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and felony vehicular homicide in May and sentenced to nine to 13-and-a-half years in prison.
The Trump campaign has intensified its focus on the incident. On Monday, the campaign's social media account posted side-by-side photos of Aiden and Joseph as it criticised Vice-President Kamala Harris' immigration policies ahead of the presidential debate.
The post said: "REMEMBER: 11-year-old Aiden Clark was killed on his way to school by a Haitian migrant that Kamala Harris let into the country in Springfield, Ohio," and alleged that Harris had "refused to say Aiden's name".
Mr Clark strongly objected to the politicisation of his son's death, saying: "They can vomit all the hate they want aboutillegal immigrants, the border crisis, and even untrue claims about fluffy pets being ravaged and eaten by community members. However, they are not allowed, nor have they ever been allowed to mention Aiden Clark from Springfield, Ohio."
He added that his family was now experiencing the "worst day of our lives violently and constantly shoved in ourfaces".
A spokesperson for the Trump campaign told the BBC: "We are deeply sorry to the Clark family for the loss of their son.
"We hope the media will continue to cover the stories of the very real suffering and tragedies experienced by the people of Springfield, Ohio due to the influx of illegal Haitian immigrants in their community."
