An Indiana congressional candidate had just parked her car in downtown Muncie, where she was set to meet with other Democrats for a virtual call on Oct. 15. Then, there was what sounded like gunfire, she said.
Jeannine Lee Lake was among several witnesses who reported hearing three loud “thuds” — blasts they believe whizzed past the candidate’s marked campaign car before striking something else, according to the Muncie Star Press. No injuries were reported.
The alleged gunfire is the latest scare for Lake, a Black woman challenging Republican Greg Pence, brother of Vice President Mike Pence, to represent Indiana’s 6th Congressional District. Lake claims she’s been on the receiving end of racist threats and harassment since August.
“In 2018, there was no incidents of overt racism towards me,” Lake, who previously ran against Pence, told WTHR. “This time has been totally different.”
The congressional candidate has reported as many as 30 alleged threats, including a scathing voicemail message in which she was called a “loud mouth frickin’ n----r,” according to the news station. The rear passenger-side window of her campaign RV was also shattered recently.
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“It’s terrifying to me,” Lake said, according to the Associated Press. “Now, in the scope of where we’re at with this campaign, in terms of some of the negative things, the harassment that’s happened, I do feel like things are escalating quite a bit.”
The Indiana Democratic Party released a statement last week decrying the incident in Muncie.
“We stand with Jeannine and against the racist threats deployed to intimidate and to silence her,” party Chairman John Zody said in a statement. “We cannot and will not tolerate this ugly style of coercion, and we call on the Indiana Republican Party and Congressman Pence to join us in condemning it. We can and must do better.”
Officers arrived to the scene around 8 p.m. on Oct. 15, the AP reported, citing Muncie Police Capt. Steve Cox. Lake wasn’t harmed and there was no noticeable damage to her car. Authorities said the incident is under investigation.
McClatchy News reached out to Muncie police for comment and is awaiting a response.
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Lake is reportedly considering halting in-person campaign events out of an abundance of caution, according to the AP. Despite the repeated threats, however, the congressional hopeful said she refuses to back down.
“I have every right to be here, as much as Greg Pence does,” Lake said, WTHR reported. “I have every right to run. I will not be intimidated.”