Shots were fired at Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s election campaign office in the state of Arizona.
This is the second time in a month that the office in Tempe city was targeted after the front windows of the establishment were shot at using a pellet gun. In a statement to NBC News on Tuesday, Tempe Police confirmed that the incident occurred the previous night, adding that “damage from gunfire” was discovered at the Democratic National Committee office. However, there were no reports of any injuries.
Tempe Police’s Public Information Officer Sgt. Ryan Cook said no one was inside the office premises at the time of the incident, “but this raises concerns about the safety of those who work in that building, as well as those nearby”, reports The New York Post.
Local TV stations aired footage that showed two bullet holes in a door and two more in windows of the office. An investigation into the incident is currently underway, with detectives analysing evidence collected from the crime scene. The police also said that additional security measures have been put in place for employees of the campaign office, as well as others in the area.
Confirming the incident, Arizona Democratic Party Chairwoman Yolanda Bejarano said in a statement that it was “extremely sad that the Arizona Democratic Party has become the target of violence – it’s not who we are as Arizonans or Americans”, reports NBC News.
“We are working with law enforcement to ensure this threat is taken seriously and that our staff members are safe while they’re at work,” she added. The gunfire incident comes just days before Harris’s scheduled trip to Arizona on Friday, during which she is likely to visit the US-Mexico border.
The office in Tempe is one of 18 field offices for the Democratic nominee’s campaign in Arizona.
On September 15, Harris’s Republican rival Donald Trump survived a second attempted assassination at his gold club in Florida. The 58-year-old suspect, Democratic supported Ryan Routh, was arrested shortly after.