PORTLAND, Ore. — Authorities in Oregon announced on Thursday that they are collaborating with the FBI to delve into a recent shooting at a Tesla dealership. This incident, involving overnight gunfire, marks the latest episode of vandalism targeting one of the company’s retail locations.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported during the occurrence in Tigard, a suburb near Portland. Surveillance footage captured the gunfire occurring at roughly 1:46 a.m. when the dealership was unoccupied.
According to a statement from Tigard police, investigators estimated that at least seven shots were fired during the incident. The gunfire resulted in damage to three vehicles and shattered multiple windows. Notably, one bullet penetrated an office wall and struck a computer monitor. Tigard lies approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest of Portland.
The Tigard Police Department is collaborating closely with federal entities, such as the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, to conduct an extensive and thorough investigation. Currently, authorities do not have a suspect description to share.
The police acknowledged that while the shooter’s motivation remains unclear, they are cognizant of other Tesla dealerships being vandalized across both Oregon and the broader United States for potentially political reasons.
This incident follows shortly after federal prosecutors in Denver charged a woman with vandalism at a Tesla dealership in Colorado. The charges involve Molotov cocktails being hurled at vehicles and the phrase “Nazi cars” sprayed on the building’s exterior.
Additionally, earlier in the month, Salem, Oregon, law enforcement apprehended a man connected to two separate incidents following reports that someone hurled Molotov cocktails at a local Tesla dealership.
