Ohio Woman Apologizes After False Viral Post Linking Missing Pets to Haitian Immigrants Sparks Nationwide Misinformation and Fear

An Ohio woman behind a viral Facebook post spreading unfounded rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pets says she’s now filled with regret and fear. Erika Lee, a resident of Springfield, Ohio, spoke out about the unintended consequences of her post, which contributed to a national frenzy over false claims.

In her original post, Lee mentioned a neighbor’s missing cat and referenced hearsay that Haitian immigrants were to blame. However, she admits that she had no firsthand knowledge of the incident and never anticipated the post would take off the way it did.

“It just exploded into something I didn’t mean to happen,” Lee told NBC News, acknowledging she deleted the post once it started spreading.

A media watchdog group, NewsGuard, revealed that Lee was among the first to share this baseless story on social media. Screenshots of her post began circulating widely, fueled by other misleading content. Another local woman, Kimberly Newton, was cited as a source in the post, but Newton clarified that she had heard the information from a third party and claimed Lee’s post misrepresented her statements.

The situation escalated when online users spread unrelated photos and videos—like an image of a man holding a dead goose from Columbus and a graphic video of a woman killing a cat from Canton—linking them falsely to Springfield’s Haitian community. Authorities and city officials repeatedly emphasized that there was no evidence of such acts taking place in Springfield, but the rumors had already spread like wildfire, even reaching national platforms.

The false allegations gained even more traction when former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance, who hails from a nearby town, repeated the claims during a recent presidential debate. This only furthered the frenzy, pushing an already intense situation into overdrive.

As fear and misinformation gripped Springfield, schools and public buildings were forced to shut down after bomb threats were issued. Lee, deeply remorseful, has since pulled her daughter out of school, worried about their safety as her post continues to attract attention.

“I never intended for this to blow up like this, and I certainly didn’t mean to harm the Haitian community,” Lee explained. She expressed deep concern for the safety of both her family and the immigrant community, stating, “I feel for them. If I were in their shoes, I’d be terrified, too.”

Lee admitted that Springfield has faced challenges with the rapid growth of its Haitian population, especially in areas like housing and healthcare. However, she never expected her post to turn into such a massive issue. “I honestly thought it would stay local,” she said, reflecting on the situation.

Now, as the town of Springfield deals with the aftermath of this viral misinformation, both Lee and community leaders are calling for calm and understanding in the face of these false allegations.