Bomb threat forces evacuation of several Springfield buildings, schools; FBI, police investigating

SPRINGFIELD — A bomb threat forced Springfield City Hall, two schools, and two state offices to evacuate on Thursday morning.

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Springfield police said someone emailed a bomb threat just before 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, sending the message to multiple agencies and media outlets, but didn’t say which ones.

“Due to the serious nature of this threat, all of the occupied buildings were evacuated,” Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliot said.

The evacuated buildings listed in the threat included city hall, Bureau of Motor Vehicles Springfield Driver’s Exam Station, Ohio License Bureau Southside, Springfield Academy of Excellence, and Fulton Elementary School.

Other locations, including the Clark County Court facilities, were investigated “out of an abundance of caution.” Clark County officials said all county buildings ended up closing Thursday as a precaution.

Residents like Barry Lookbaugh came to city hall on Thursday to take care of things, such as paying bills. As he went to go in to pay his bill, News Center 7 saw him get turned away by police and state troopers. They told him the building was closed for the day, but didn’t say why.

As shown on News Center 7 at 5:00, John Bedell let him know it was because of a bomb threat.

“It’s a crazy world,” Lookbaugh said. “You never know.”

During a news conference on Thursday afternoon, Elliot said the Springfield Police Division is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to find out who sent the threat.

A spokesperson for the FBI said they’re “prepared to investigate if information of a potential federal violation is discovered.”

The city saw a bomb threat the day before on Champion Avenue, one that the FBI is investigating after someone left a suspicious package on a doorstep.

News Center 7′s John Bedell asked the police chief and city officials if the threats were related to each other or the larger attention the city has been getting this week.

“Again, we are not taking questions at this time,” Elliot said in response.

As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, residents were saddened by Thursday’s bomb threat.

Bonnie Johnson was walking laps around the block, praying for her city. Bedell asked her what she thinks is needed in the community.

“There’s a lot of tension and a lot of upheaval and a lot of discord. And that’s not what we used to be known for. We used to be known as ‘Champion City,’” Johnson said. “And so I just believe that we can return to what we once were and we just need to adjust to what we’re living in right now.”

The city’s surge in Haitian immigrants has created real strains on public services and has led to tensions in the city.

“It’s not going to be easy,” Carolyn Dunn, a Springfield resident, said. “We weren’t prepared for it, but it’s not going to get better if people are constantly putting strife out there and negativity. I think we need to look for the positive.”

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