Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-St. Louis) was not inside her vehicle when it was hit by gunfire early Saturday morning.
According to an anonymous Bush insider, the vehicle was parked in the St. Louis area and it is believed that Rep. Bush was not targeted, 5 On Your Side reports.
“Like far too many of us in St. Louis, experiencing gun violence is all too familiar,” Rep. Bush told 5 On Your Side in a statement.
“Thankfully no one was harmed. But any act of gun violence shakes your soul,” Bush said.
Several cars in the area had evidence that someone tampered with the door handles, per the report.
“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,” Bush said.
Last summer, Bush took to Twitter to share a few of the many hateful messages she’s received since being elected to the House of Representatives from Missouri in 2020, theGrio reported.
The activist-turned-lawmaker posted a lengthy thread containing some of the racist comments she’s been sent.
She captioned the Twitter thread with a trigger warning, writing: “White supremacists wanted me dead before I came to Congress. And white supremacist threats on my life have only intensified as a Black woman speaking truth in the halls of power. Just know: They won’t stop us. They can’t. TW: white supremacist violence.”
The first message stated… “the only good n—-, is a dead ni—-.”
Another read, “Only white lives matter, you bed-wench porch monkey n***er.”
Another threatened Bush and her family, its author writing: “Maybe you should watch your racist b— mouth. How would you like your family fried like (bacon emoji.)”
The lawmaker posted nearly a dozen of the messages.
In August, theGrio reported that Bush scored a book deal worth up to $100,000. According to a financial disclosure, the “Squad” member partnered up with Knopf Doubleday Publishing for her book, set to be titled “The Cori Chronicles.” The book’s advance was approved by the House Committee on Ethics.
Bush, who is also a nurse, made history as the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress after winning the 2020 election by defeating Republican Anthony Rogers. She became a frontline protest leader, marching the streets of Ferguson, Missouri after the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in 2014 and becoming one of the early faces of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Bush is an advocate for defunding the police; she celebrated when St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones reappropriated $4 million from the city’s police budget to affordable housing.
“We are building a St. Louis where our streets are safe and our youth can grow and prosper — where we cannot just survive St. Louis, but thrive. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Mayor Tishaura Jones — and I commend her for her incredible leadership with today’s decision,” Bush stated on her personal website.
This article contains additional reporting from theGrio’s Biba Adams.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s “Dear Culture” podcast? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!