Police have stationed officers outside a Democratic Party campaign office situated in a serene suburban strip mall in Tempe, Arizona, following two separate shootings that targeted the office door and windows during the past week.
Authorities in Tempe are working to identify suspects and a motive behind the incidents, causing concern among party workers for their safety.
The climate of political violence has cast a shadow over this year’s campaign season, exemplified by two assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, which occurred at a campaign rally and a Florida golf course.
Addressing the escalating threats, the U.S. House recently passed a measure mandating the U.S. Secret Service to apply consistent security standards for protecting major presidential candidates similar to presidents and vice presidents.
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is scheduled to tour the Southwestern U.S. this weekend with scheduled stops near the Arizona border on Friday and in the battleground state of Nevada on Sunday.
Following the incidents, Lindsay Bailey, a 47-year-old nurse, expressed her concerns about the national division, reflecting the sentiments shared by many Americans amid the current political climate.
The Tempe Police Department is treating the damage at the strip mall as a property crime. The campaign office, previously a barber shop, is located adjacent to a daycare center and a fitness facility.
Both shootings, occurring on September 16 and 23, involved shots from either a pellet or BB gun, causing damage to the office without any injuries as the premises were unoccupied at the time, confirmed Sgt. Ryan Cook, a spokesperson for the Tempe Police Department.
The targeted campaign office in Tempe is one of 18 Harris field offices in Arizona.
Alexis Maher, 29, an employee at a nearby home furnishing store, expressed unease about the current political climate and the potential for further unsettling events during the election season.
Authorities are diligently processing evidence retrieved from the scene, with additional safety precautions being implemented to safeguard staff and locals in the vicinity.
Police are exploring all potential motives behind the shootings and are in the process of reviewing security camera footage to glean more insights into the incidents.