The mayor of Bowling Green says he doesn’t think recent comments about a so-called “massacre” in the city will harm its reputation.
A senior advisor to President Trump, Kellyanne Conway, cited what she called the “Bowling Green massacre” in defense of the administration’s controversial travel ban. Those comments were aired Thursday night in an interview on MSNBC.
Two Iraqi citizens were arrested in Bowling Green in 2011 on terrorism charges, but there were no attacks or deaths related to the incident.
"The unfortunate part was that there were two people here who engaged in activity that was brought to the attention of the FBI, and were arrested and convicted of being involved in a terror plot," Mayor Bruce Wilkerson said. "The fortunate thing was that there was no massacre in Bowling Green."
Wilkerson said his city has gained a reputation as a place with a lot of ethnic diversity.
“Bowling Green has been a place that’s welcomed international individuals for years and years and years. It’s quite common. Our community is used to it, and we’re happy to have them.”
Conway later said she meant to say "Bowling Green terrorists" instead of "massacre."
Bowling Green is home to a refugee relocation center that has brought thousands of refugees to southern Kentucky since 1981.
The center in recent years has resettled refugees from countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
