‘Domestic terrorism’: US attorney general's strong reaction after Tesla vehicles burnt in attack
A fire erupted at a Tesla Collision Centre in Las Vegas early on Tuesday morning, damaging five vehicles. The perpetrator also vandalised the property.
US attorney general Pam Bondi on Tuesday issued a statement calling the attacks on Tesla vehicles “nothing short of domestic terrorism” and vowed to impose severe consequences for those involved in the crime, reported ABC News.
Pam Bondi said, "The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism. The Department of Justice has already charged several perpetrators with that in mind, including in cases that involve charges with five-year mandatory minimum sentences."
She added, “We will continue investigations that impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes."
The attorney's general's statement comes in the aftermath of a fire at a Tesla Collision Centre in Las Vegas early on Tuesday morning. Five Tesla vehicles were damaged according to police officials quoted by ABC News, in this latest attack on the electric vehicle company owned by Elon Musk.
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Officials stated that not only were the vehicles burnt, but the word “RESIST” was spray-painted across the doors of the facility. Three rounds of bullets were also shot at the rest of the Tesla vehicles.
The assistant sheriff of the Las Vegas metropolitan police stated that this was a targeted attack against the Tesla facility. The perpetrator of the crime is suspected to have approached the place wearing black clothes and is believed to have used a gun and Molotov cocktails to carry out the attack.
The local police and the FBI's joint terrorism task force have been conducting an investigation into the incident and searching for the suspect.
This is not the first such event targeting Tesla cars. In Kansas on Monday, two Tesla Cybertrucks were damaged after a fire erupted at a dealership. Such attacks on dealerships with Tesla cars or charging stations have been increasing since CEO Elon Musk took over the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration.
In a post on X on March 17, Elon Musk said, “My companies make great products that people love and I've never physically hurt anyone. So why the hate and violence against me? Because I am a deadly threat to the woke mind parasite and the humans it controls.”
