The city has been in the national spotlight since a claim went viral that Haitian immigrants — of whom 12,000 to 15,000 live in the Springfield area — were eating people’s pets. Law enforcement and city officials have said there is zero evidence to back these claims.

City officials said they were notified of the threat through an email on Thursday morning, and have since evacuated the area as a precaution. The credibility of the threat is not clear.