Indianapolis politician's home shot 13 times after backing AI data center in escalating dispute

Indianapolis politician's home shot at 13 times over data center dispute -- police and FBI investigating 'isolated, targeted incident' after city councilor backed project

The home of Indianapolis City-County Council member Ron Gibson was shot at on Monday, with the assailant leaving a note saying, "NO DATA CENTERS." Many people have recently been vehemently opposing the construction of data centers, especially as many are concerned about the negative effects it has on the community. These include increased electricity costs and diminished power quality, as well as apprehension about its effect on the water supply. According to CBS News, Gibson supported the proposed Metrobloks data center, but was met with boos when he spoke up about the benefits of the project during a Metropolitan Development Commission meeting last week. "There are real benefits tied to this development," Gibson said during the public hearing. "Construction is expected to support roughly 300 jobs over a three-year period." However, the members of the public who opposed the project were asked to stand up; most of the people in the meeting were seen taking a stand. Despite this, the Metropolitan Development Commission approved the proposed rezoning to accommodate the planned data center. This is not a done deal yet, though, as the proposal still needs approval from the Indianapolis City-County Council, of which Gibson is a member. According to the report, an assailant fired 13 shots at Gibson's front door after midnight, before leaving the aforementioned note. Gibson says his 8-year-old son was at home when the shooting occurred. An image taken by Gibson of the scene of the incident shows his front door with multiple bullet holes and shattered glass. Officers attended the scene on Monday morning, and the FBI is also assisting in the investigation. This isn't the first time members of a community have pushed back against proposed data centers. It has gotten to the point that one company kept the location of its latest data center project secret, explaining that it wanted to spare the small towns from "national media attention." However, it can get difficult to fight against these AI infrastructure projects, especially as tech companies are willing to pay a premium to get their sites up and running, with one unnamed company offering more than 7 times the average rate in the area for a parcel of land where they intend to build a data center. A farming family in Northern Kentucky declined the $26 million that the tech firm dangled in front of them. Unfortunately, their other neighbors said yes, so plans for an AI data center in the region are still underway. What's worrying, though, is that this is the first report of a data center dispute turning violent. Political discussions like this can become heated, especially as people worry that their homes and future are on the line. But even Protect Martindale-Brightwood, one of the neighborhood groups that is against the project, condemned the attack. "Violence has no place in our community or our advocacy," said the group. "We want to be clear: any signage or messaging at the scene is not affiliated with our organization and does not reflect who we are. Our work is rooted in peaceful, community-led advocacy grounded in respect and accountability." Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

A councilmember backed a data center project. Then 13 bullets and a 'No Data Centers' note hit his home | Fortune

As backlash to AI infrastructure intensifies nationwide, it just turned violent in Indianapolis. Ron Gibson, a city-county councilmember, woke up just before 1AM on Monday to find 13 bullet holes in his home, along with a note on his doorstep that read "No Data Centers." He and his 8-year-old son were home at the time, according to a statement released by the councilmember on Monday, though neither reported injuries. "Just steps from where those bullets struck is our dining room table, where my son had been playing with his Legos the day before," Councilmember Gibson wrote in a statement. "That reality is deeply unsettling." The shooting appears to have been politically motivated, tied to a proposed data center in Indianapolis's Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. Less than a week prior to the incident, Gibson had voiced his support for the construction of a data center in his district. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approved a rezoning petition on April 1 in a 6-2 vote for a 14-acre $500 million data center project for Metrobloks, an LA-based data center developer, as reported by Mirror Indy. Gibson isn't on the commission that voted to approve the rezoning measure, but he supported the commission's decision in a statement last week as the data center construction site falls in his district. The clash reflects a broader tension playing out across the U.S. as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google race to expand data center capacity to meet surging AI demand. Data centers projects, which are necessary to power AI, are increasingly running into resistance from communities concerned about energy use, water consumption, noise, and land use. In suburban and rural towns where tech companies are pouring significant investment into AI infrastructure, residents are increasingly pushing back against the development. Nonprofit organization Environmental and Energy Study Institute has reported complaints from communities in Arizona, Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas about the noise and environmental impacts of data centers. Researchers have warned data centers could negatively impact their surrounding environments, including creating "heat islands" that warm the surrounding six miles. In Southaven, Miss., for example, residents have complained of a "jet engine roar" from a gas turbine powering a data center for Elon Musk's AI firm xAI, NBC News reported. The rezoning proposal to construct the data center in Indianapolis faced backlash last week, Mirror Indy reported. Several community leaders and clergy members opposed the project during a public hearing prior to the vote. Many cited environmental pollution concerns, as well as fear of rising energy costs. Americans are increasingly likely to say they dislike AI. A recent poll of registered voters found that just 26% of Americans have a favorable view of AI, and 46% held a negative view. That's led many politicians to seize upon the backlash to the technology. Politicians of both parties across the country have introduced AI regulation bills, including data center moratoriums in multiple states. Political violence has been on the rise, too. In September, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University. Perpetrators carried out two attempted assassinations on President Donald Trump in the lead up to the 2024 presidential election. Gibson, a Democrat who has served on the Indianapolis City Council since 2023, thanked the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, as well as the FBI and Homeland Security for their work on the investigation. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department didn't immediately respond to Fortune's request for updates to the investigation into the incident. The councilmember forcefully condemned the attack in his statement. "I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk," he wrote.