Shots fired at Tesla dealership as backlash against Elon Musk grows
Gunshots were fired at a Tesla dealership in Oregon on Thursday for the second time in a week as vandalism and protests continue around the country since Elon Musk became a key figure in the Trump administration.
More than a dozen shots were fired at the electric vehicle dealership in the Portland suburb of Tigard about 4.15am, according to the Tigard Police Department.
The shooting caused extensive damage to cars and showroom windows, police said. No one was hurt.
A similar shooting happened on 6 March at the same location. Police said they continue to work with federal partners at the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives to thoroughly investigate.
An ATF explosive detection dog has been used after both shootings to help search for shell casings, police said.
Tesla has been a target for demonstrations and vandalism in the US and around the world as people protest against Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which has been moving to slash the size of the federal government.
Drivers are also turning away from Tesla. Data from Australia's Electric Vehicle Council reveals a 35 per cent drop in Tesla sales in the four months following Trump's election compared to the same period the previous year.
Recent incidents of vandalism targeting Teslas in Australia and New Zealand further suggest a backlash against Mr Musk's political stance.
Tesla has not yet commented on these developments.
Police said over the weekend that six Tesla Cybertrucks at a dealership in the Seattle suburb of Lynnwood were spray painted with swastikas and profanity directed at Musk, KING-TV reported.
On Sunday, four Cybertrucks were destroyed in a blaze in Seattle, but investigators have not said if the fire, or fires, were intentionally set. On Tuesday, the Seattle Police Department said it was working with federal partners to investigate the incident.
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