The campaign office of Vice President Kamala Harris in Tempe, Arizona, was the target of gunfire, according to local law enforcement. This incident occurred just over a week following a second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The Tempe Police Department reported that the damage from several bullets was discovered at the Democratic National Committee campaign office located near Southern Avenue and Priest Drive.
The bullets were fired after midnight on Monday, but no one was inside the office during the overnight hours. Public Information Officer Sgt. Ryan Cook expressed concern for the safety of those who work in the building and those in the surrounding area.
Detectives are currently examining evidence gathered from the scene. Additional security measures have been implemented to ensure the safety of staff and others in the vicinity, according to the police. Staff members arrived at the office on Monday and reported what seemed to be gunshots fired through the front windows.
This is the second instance of criminal damage reported at the office in as many weeks. On September 16, just after midnight, the front windows were shot with what police believe to be a BB gun or pellet gun. No arrests have been made in either incident, and authorities are investigating all potential motives.
This shooting incident follows closely on the heels of a second attempt on Trump’s life at his West Palm Beach golf course on September 15. The alleged assailant, 58-year-old Hawaii resident Ryan Routh, was discovered when a Secret Service agent noticed the muzzle of a semiautomatic rifle protruding from the bushes near the sixth hole. The agent opened fire before Routh could fire a single shot. Routh dropped his rifle and fled in an SUV, but was apprehended 40 minutes later.
Vice President Harris is scheduled to visit Arizona for a campaign event on Friday. This will be her second trip to the crucial swing state since her nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. The Harris campaign has not disclosed which city she will be visiting. Current polls show Harris and Trump in a virtual tie in Arizona with just six weeks until Election Day. Trump won Arizona in 2016, but President Biden turned the state blue in 2020, winning by less than 11,000 votes, the smallest margin of any state that year.