Kamala Harris sign booby-trapped with shotgun shells raises safety concerns in Virginia
LEESBURG, Va. - A booby-trapped political campaign sign in Virginia has raised concerns among residents and prompted a response from the Loudoun County bomb squad.
The sign, featuring a caricature of Vice President Kamala Harris, is on private property and is now surrounded by freshly placed "no trespassing" signs.
The booby trap consists of shotgun shells filled with what appears to be gunpowder.
The situation came to light after a resident called authorities on Saturday morning, prompting a Sheriff’s Office deputy and members of the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office to investigate. A bomb assessment team was also brought in to assess the situation.
According to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, political sign vandalism on private property is not new, and property owners have made efforts to protect their signs in the past. After examining the device, investigators determined it was an audible warning device, not an explosive, and was not illegal.
The property owner told authorities that signs on the property had been vandalized previously. The Sheriff's Office recommended putting up "no trespassing" signs as a preventative measure, which the owner has done.
In addition to the sign, another resident informed FOX 5 of a camera strapped to a nearby tree, powered by a solar panel at its base.
Charles King, a Leesburg resident, expressed concern over the safety implications of the setup.
"I found the sign, I found a camera to take pictures of people near the sign, and a device in the woods that appeared to me to be an improvised explosive device," King told FOX 5. "It looked homemade, made of shotgun shells and what appeared to be gunpowder."
King voiced particular worry for children, especially with Halloween approaching, citing potential dangers associated with the gunpowder.
The sheriff’s office emphasized that no laws were violated in this case, and the device was legally set up on private property to deter trespassers.