SPRINGFIELD — Streets in downtown Springfield were blocked off for multiple hours on Monday due to “safety concerns” related to a series of bomb threats.
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Shortly before 9:30 a.m., the City of Springfield issued a notice asking residents and visitors to avoid the downtown area near the Police Departments and courts due to safety concerns that impacted traffic flow.
The investigation closed half a dozen city and county buildings, including both of Clark County’s court buildings. At one point, our News Center 7 crew saw investigators focused between the two court buildings, where they were looking at a duffel bag.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine confirmed that what led to this had happened hours earlier. DeWine said at 7:45 a.m., Clark County offices started getting bomb threats, talking about pipe bombs.
“The whole essence of the threats were that the Haitians should be out, get rid of the Haitians,” DeWine revealed. “These are similar to bomb threats that have been received in other states, other locations, similar type rhetoric. I have no idea if it’s the same people.”
The governor added that investigators ended up outside the Clark County Municipal Court and Public Safety Building in Springfield, two buildings that are next door to each other. The Public Safety Building houses the Springfield Police, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clark County Jail.
“The FBI is now involved in this,” DeWine said. “In two different locations, duffel bags were found in the city, in those two locations.”
News Center 7 saw the bomb squad using a robot to grab hold of a black duffel bag near the front entrance to the Clark County Municipal Court. They also reported seeing a member of the bomb squad wearing protective gear, standing next to the robot at one point.
Clark County Sheriff Christopher Clark said in a statement Monday afternoon that the investigation into the threats initially indicates they came from “overseas actors.”
Clark told News Center 7 that investigators are still working to determine whether the duffel bags they found today are related to the threats.
Monday afternoon, Springfield Police confirmed they found no “suspicious devices” or “credible threats, and added “multiple communities across Ohio” got similar emailed threats.
In a statement sent out on Monday, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the community “faced a familiar situation that understandably caused concern.”
“These matters are being taken seriously and addressed with the highest level of caution and professionalism,” Rue said in part. “Springfield is a strong and resilient community and public safety remains our top priority, and we will continue to share information as appropriate. By staying calm, informed and united we will navigate this situation together.”
Federal investigators told News Center 7 in a statement, in part, “The FBI is aware of a number of hoax threats in Central Ohio,” saying that included Springfield.
“The FBI addresses these threats with the utmost seriousness, as they put innocent lives at risk and are a federal crime. While we have no information to indicate a credible threat, we are currently working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as soon as it comes to our attention. We urge the public to remain vigilant and report all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately,” FBI Cincinnati’s statement read.
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