After being targeted by three different shootings over a three-week period, Democrats have decided to close one of their field offices in a must-win swing state out of concern for the safety of staff and volunteers.
According to USA TODAY, the Arizona Democratic Party is closing a field office in Tempe, Arizona (outside of Phoenix) for the remainder of the campaign cycle. The Arizona Republic's Mary Jo Pitzl reported that staffers are now continuing their work at different undisclosed locations after the office was repeatedly hit by both BB gun pellets and firearm rounds.
No one was killed or injured in the shootings, as they took place late at night when no one was inside the building. Police currently are still searching for the suspects, but are asking the public for help identifying the driver of a silver Toyota Highlander that was spotted in the vicinity following the most recent shooting on October 6.
Field offices are typically used by campaigns as central locations to coordinate canvassing operations, distribute lawn signs and conduct volunteer phone banking shifts. The Tempe office is one of 18 field offices for Vice President Kamala Harris in the Grand Canyon State, so the closure is unlikely to significantly hamper Democrats' organizing efforts in Arizona.
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The third shooting at the Tempe office came just days before Harris visited Arizona to campaign in Phoenix. The first shooting, which happened on September 16, was done with a BB gun. On September 23, the building was struck by gunfire. It is unknown whether the shootings are related.
The three shootings at the Tempe office are the latest instance of political violence in the 2024 cycle, which has also seen two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump. The first attempt on Trump's life came during a July rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the second attempt happened in September at one of his golf courses.
U.S. Secret Service agents speaking anonymously to NBC News have said that the task of providing around-the-clock protection of both Harris and Trump — in addition to running mates JD Vance and Tim Walz as well as President Joe Biden, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama along with all of their families — is leading to fatigue and burnout.
“Tensions are high and lapses of judgment are becoming more frequent,” one unnamed agent said. “If something goes wrong, you don’t have time to second guess. Everyone is so tired that you can see it’s taking time to process things and react accordingly.”
The Tempe Police Department is offering a $1,000 reward for any help that could lead to the arrest and indictment of the suspect. Tips can be called into the Silent Witness program at 480-WITNESS (948-6377), or in Spanish at 480-TESTIGO (837-8446).
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