At least four shots were fired into the Volusia County Republican Party headquarters in Florida sometime late Sunday or early Monday, shattering a front window and piercing a “Trump: Make America Great Again” sign.
South Daytona police Capt. Mark Cheatham said Monday his agency is investigating the shooting at the Nova Fountain Business Park in Daytona Beach as an incidence of vandalism. No one was inside the GOP headquarters when the shots were fired, and nobody was hurt.
“At this point we can confirm that at least four rounds were fired into the building,” Capt. Cheatham said, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported. “The bullets entered low and then went high inside the office making us think they were fired from a car, but it’s something we are looking at.”
Volunteers showed The News-Journal several bullet holes in the walls and ceiling, according to a video published by the outlet.
The party’s chairman, Tony Ledbetter, blamed Democrats for the vandalism.
“I’m looking at the busted window that some nice Democrat did,” he said. “Republicans don’t have any beef about what we are doing, it’s the Democrats.”
He added that the party headquarters is in “a small strip center and no other business was vandalized, so it was obviously politically motivated.”
Gov. Rick Scott responded to the incident by condemning “violence of any kind.”
Glad everyone at the Volusia County Republican headquarters is okay and that no one was inside when the shooting happened. Violence of any kind does not belong in our state and I appreciate law enforcement’s quick response to keep these Floridians safe.https://t.co/s2L2p6xtbN
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) October 29, 2018
Footage shown by by WFTV showed a shattered front window at the party headquarters and two relatively clean bullet holes through a pro-Trump sign and an Uncle Sam sign plastered on two other front windows.
No one was hurt. At least 4 bullets went through the windows pic.twitter.com/34a6MEthJR
— Mike Springer WFTV (@mspringerwftv) October 29, 2018
Police said they have no suspects and no witnesses to the crime, but are waiting to see if any nearby businesses caught it on surveillance.
Meanwhile, increased police patrols have been ordered near the headquarters, The News-Journal reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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