LEESBURG, Va. - A 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 situation came to light after a resident called authorities 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.
MORE FROM FOX 5: Trump retakes lead in several battleground states, polls show
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.
Editor's Note: In multiple stories Monday, FOX 5 reported that a neighbor said that he found what appeared to be an improvised explosive device made of shotgun shells and gunpowder. A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office says they are unaware of casings in the area and only found an audio device.
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized that no laws were violated in this case and that the device was legally set up on private property to deter trespassers.
This story has been updated to reflect this information.