Man guilty of killing geese near Springfield on day of Trump-Harris debate

A 64-year-old white American man pleaded guilty Sept. 18 to shooting geese with a shotgun on Sept. 10 at Rocky Lakes Golf Course in Green Twp. south of Springfield, Clark County Municipal Court records show. The News-Sun generally does not name people involved in disorderly conduct. The case was first reported online by Steven Monacelli.

According to a court affidavit, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources wildlife officer said that on Sept. 10, a golfer saw a goose swimming in the pond near a man with a shotgun. The golfer said the man with the shotgun said he shot geese and then he shot a second goose, the affidavit said.

The next day, the ODNR officer spoke with the golf course manager, who identified the man with the shotgun as an employee of the golf course who was allowed to trap geese on the property and said he should have all the appropriate licenses and permits, according to court documents.

The golf course employee admitted to shooting the geese and said he believed the golf course had a nuisance permit and was allowed to shoot the geese, the affidavit said.

The ODNR official said the golf course did not have such a permit and the employee did not have the required Ohio Wetland Stamp, HIP certification or federal migratory bird stamp.

The officer said he issued the man a citation for hunting without a stamp, adding that the man had no prior violations and was cooperative. According to court records, the charge is a fourth-degree misdemeanor to which the man pleaded guilty.

We have reached out to the ODNR to ask if they have received any additional credible reports of geese or ducks being taken from parks in Clark County and will update with any new information.

Last month, unconfirmed rumors circulated that members of Springfield's large Haitian immigrant population were killing geese and ducks in area parks, and there were also rumors that they were taking and eating people's pets. These rumors have been amplified by former President Donald Trump and current Ohio Senator JD Vance, among others.

Springfield police and city and county officials said there were no credible reports of pets being eaten by people. According to ODNR, there have been two reports this year from people who believed they saw Haitians taking geese or ducks from Snyder Park. ODNR said, “No supporting evidence was found during the follow-up investigation.”

Regardless, the allegations quickly spread internationally, drawing worldwide attention to Springfield and leading to a spate of bomb threats against government offices, schools, and businesses in Springfield, as well as visits to the city by neo-Nazi groups and others designated as hate groups.

The situation following the negative attention was also brought up in the vice presidential debate this week, where Minnesota Governor Tim Walz criticized Vance for spreading the rumors and pointed out that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, following the threats state highway patrol had ordered to ensure the safety of the city's schools.