Democratic campaign office in Arizona is attacked with gunfire

A Democratic campaign office in Tempe, Arizona, was attacked with gunfire overnight, the state Democratic Party and local police confirmed.

The event comes several days before Vice President Kamala Harris holds a campaign event in Arizona, one of the most decisive swing states in the upcoming November election.

It also comes nearly a month after Harris held a campaign event in Tempe with Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost.

"We can confirm that on 9/23/24, what appears to be damage from gunfire at … a DNC Campaign Office, was discovered," the Tempe Police Department said in a statement to the press.

Police said they are investigating the incident as a property crime.

Sean McEnerney, coordinated campaign manager for the Arizona Democratic Party, thanked law enforcement for their intervention.

"We are grateful to Tempe Police for coming quickly to the scene and are fortunate no one was present or injured."

The event also comes at a critical time in the election campaign, with former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump suffering two assassination attempts against him in less than two months. This situation has raised national concern about the growth of political violence in the United States.

According to NBC News, the Tempe branch is one of 18 Harris campaign field offices in Arizona, the same one shared by staff of the Arizona Democratic Party, the vice presidential campaign and the Senate and House campaigns. The operation's goal is to increase the party's turnout in November.

Tempe, a college town home to Arizona State University (ASU), could play a key role for Democrats in the upcoming November elections.

In 2023, enrollment at ASU was about 57,000 students, a young demographic that could propel Harris to win a state that Biden won in 2020 by just 10,000 votes.