Report: Democratic Rep. Cori Bush's car struck by gunfire

A vehicle belonging to Democratic Rep. Cori Bush (Mo.) was hit with gunfire in the St. Louis, Missouri area early Saturday morning, a source close to the representative told a local news outlet this week.

KSDK-TV reported that Bush was not inside the parked car at the time of the shooting and was not injured in the incident. Citing the anonymous source, the outlet added that the shooting was not thought to be a targeted attack on the congresswoman.

Rather, there was evidence that someone had tampered with the door handles of other vehicles in the general vicinity at around the same time Bush's car was hit with bullets.

If true, that information likely means that someone was attempting to break into the vehicles to steal items from inside or steal the vehicle itself. Carjackings and car break-ins have been on the rise across the country in recent months, and perhaps especially in St. Louis County.

Last year, police data in St. Louis showed there was an unprecedented 10% rise in car break-ins and car thefts in 2021, and a staggering 800% increase in catalytic converter thefts between 2020 and 2019.

Republican members of the county council have sought to address the ongoing problem by enacting new penalties for vehicle "tampering" or "prowling," punishing the criminal behavior with a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year of jail time. The county has also beefed up police presence in areas where the crimes were being committed.

But following the incident involving her vehicle, Bush didn't seem particularly interested in commenting on the need to police burglaries in the county. Instead, she pivoted off the issue to make a statement about gun violence.

“Like far too many of us in St. Louis, experiencing gun violence is all too familiar. Thankfully no one was harmed. But any act of gun violence shakes your soul," the progressive lawmaker said.

"No one should have to fear for their safety here in St. Louis and that is exactly why our movement is working every day to invest in our communities, eradicate the root causes of gun violence, and keep every neighborhood safe," she continued.

The remarks are particularly rich from Bush, who last year came under fire for spending $70,000 of her own campaign money on private security while at the same time calling for the defunding of police.