“I would like to stress that we are deeply committed to the safety of our entire community,” Elliott said. “Safety is a shared responsibility and it takes all of us; I encourage the public, if you see something, say something.”
Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said everyone who was in the City Hall building was moved out and is safe. Rue would not comment on the precise language of the threat but said it came from someone claiming to be from Springfield, and mentioned frustration with the city related to Haitian immigration issues.
Karen Graves, strategic engagement manager for the city of Springfield, confirmed that City Hall remained closed all day Thursday. City Hall’s Utility Billing office will reopen Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. only. For other inquiries or business, call the city at either 937-324-7341, 937-324-7300 or 937-525-5800.
All Clark County buildings were also closed to the public Thursday, “out of an abundance of caution,” which includes all commission departments, the Department of Job and Family Services, the Common Pleas Court, the Board of Elections and the A.B. Graham Building, according to a statement released at 11:45 a.m. The county said it would update the public with more closures “as they become available.”
Springfield City Schools evacuated students from Fulton Elementary on Thursday morning. Parents said they were told to pick up their children, and a police officer outside Fulton told concerned parents that their children had been moved to Springfield High School. Springfield City Schools issued a brief statement at 10:40 a.m.
“Based on information received from the State Fire Marshal, Fulton students were evacuated from their building to Springfield High School this morning,” school officials said. “Students and staff are safe; however, the district is in the process of a controlled release to safely dismiss students to their parents.”
Elliott said during the press conference that additional locations were investigated and cleared “out of an abundance of caution.” This included Clark County court facilities.
Elliott said the city is working with the Dayton FBI office to identify the source of the email. Other agencies involved in the response were the Dayton Police Department, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Dayton Airport Police, Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Clark County Emergency Management Agency, Ohio Fire Marshal’s Bureau, Springfield Fire Rescue Division and the Department of Public Safety.
The city of Springfield has seen significant turmoil this year, and especially this week, over public response to 10,000 to 15,000 Haitians moving to the city over the past few years. City Commission meetings are regularly packed with upset residents, and the issue was raised during Tuesday night’s presidential debate.
As the News-Sun first reported, City Manager Bryan Heck and Deputy Director of Public Safety and Operations Jason Via were speaking with law enforcement outside the building around 9 a.m., and employees were seen checking to make sure doors were locked.
At first, city staff were gathered more than a block away from City Hall, then some were seen getting into cars and driving away from the parking lot adjacent to the building.
“We have moved the staff out of the building and relocated them,” Rue said.
The city statement said the bomb threat prompted “an immediate response from local and regional law enforcement. As a precautionary measure, the (city hall) building has been evacuated, and authorities are currently conducting a thorough investigation. Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our employees and residents. We are working to address this situation as swiftly as possible.”
At 9 a.m. Thursday, only Heck and a couple other city leaders stayed there, and were telling the occasional visitor from the public that the building was closed.
By 9:25 a.m., close to a dozen police vehicles were surrounding the building, and numerous officers were standing on the plaza. The police vehicles included two from Dayton that were K-9 units.
“The most important thing to me is that all of my employees and the public are protected from any threats,” Heck said. “We take these very seriously and investigate them to the full extent.”
City government said it was alerted to the threat via an email message at 8:24 a.m. that “was sent to multiple agencies and media outlets.”
“We ask the community to avoid the area surrounding City Hall vicinity while the investigation is ongoing and to report any suspicious activity to the Springfield Police Division,” a city statement said. “We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work through this matter.”
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