SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, received bomb threats Saturday, officials said, adding to the growing list of buildings targeted this week as the city is thrust into the national spotlight.

Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center received bomb threats, police said.

What You Need To Know

  • Police said two hospitals in Springfield, Ohio, received bomb threats Saturday
  • The hospitals were Kettering Health Springfield and Mercy Health — Springfield Regional Medical Center
  • The town has been in the national spotlight this week following unconfirmed social media reports that had accused Haitian immigrants of stealing and eating people’s pets

Kettering Health went into a temporary lockdown Saturday, hospital officials said.

“Earlier this morning, the Springfield Police Department alerted our security team that a bomb threat had been made toward Kettering Health Springfield. Based on this information, the facility was placed on a temporary lockdown. The Springfield Police Department and the Kettering Health Springfield security team searched the premises and did not find anything suspicious. The lockdown has now been lifted,” a hospital statement said.

Various government buildings and schools in the city have been receiving bomb threats since Thursday, resulting in evacuations and police sweeps.

The city has been in the national spotlight following unsubstantiated social media reports of Haitian immigrants stealing and eating people’s pets, a topic that also came up at Tuesday’s presidential debate.

Springfield police have said there are no credible reports to back up the claims.

It's not known if the claims are connected to the threats.

Mercy Health has not responded to a request for comment.

Digital producer Madison MacArthur, senior producer Lydia Taylor and reporter Cassidy Wilson contributed to this report.