Indianapolis Councilor’s Home Hit by 13 Shots and 'No Data Centers' Note After Vote for MetroBloks Data Center Rezoning
Indianapolis Councilor Ron Gibson says about 13 shots were fired at his front door around 12:45 a.m. Monday while he and his 8‑year‑old son were inside, and a handwritten note reading “No Data Centers” was left on his doorstep, an incident police say appears to be an isolated, targeted attack with the FBI assisting. The shooting is being linked to last week’s Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approval of the MetroBloks data center rezoning that Gibson supported, and researchers note data centers have increasingly become symbolic targets for extremists motivated by anti‑tech, anti‑government and environmental grievances.
📌 Key Facts
- Indianapolis Councilor Ron Gibson says about 13 shots were fired at his front door around 12:45 a.m. Monday while he and his 8-year-old son were inside.
- A handwritten note reading "No Data Centers" was left on Gibson’s doorstep.
- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police characterize the incident as an isolated, targeted attack and say the FBI is assisting the investigation.
- The shooting and note occurred after last week’s Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approval of rezoning for the MetroBloks data center; Gibson had publicly supported the rezoning and said he would not "call down" the project when it reaches the full council.
- Extremism researcher Jordyn Abrams says data centers have increasingly become targets for extremists motivated by anti-tech, anti-government, and environmental narratives and that they now function as symbols for a wide range of grievances.
📊 Relevant Data
Black households in the US face higher energy burdens, spending a greater percentage of their income on energy costs compared to White households, which can be exacerbated by increased energy demands from data centers.
How the data center boom could harm Black communities — Canary Media
In the high-tech sector, including data centers, Black and Hispanic workers are substantially underrepresented, with Asian workers overrepresented at 17% of the data center workforce in 2023.
Data Centers Growing Fast and Reshaping Local Economies — U.S. Census Bureau
Data centers in Indiana, including Indianapolis, are projected to increase energy costs, with data center energy needs accounting for about 40% of power company costs in 2027 and 2028, potentially raising utility bills for residents.
How data centers in Indianapolis could affect your electric bill — Mirror Indy
Data centers contribute to environmental and health impacts through pollution from power sources, disproportionately affecting communities with existing vulnerabilities like lead-contaminated soil in areas such as Martindale-Brightwood.
How data centers in Indy will impact your health and environment — Mirror Indy
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- Ron Gibson states that about 13 shots were fired at his front door around 12:45 a.m. Monday while he and his 8-year-old son were inside.
- A handwritten note reading 'No Data Centers' was left on the doorstep of Gibson’s home.
- Indianapolis Metropolitan Police say the incident appears to be an isolated, targeted attack and confirm the FBI is assisting the investigation.
- The story more fully links the attack to last week’s Indianapolis Metropolitan Development Commission approval of the MetroBloks data center rezoning, which Gibson publicly supported and said he would not 'call down' when it reaches the full council.
- Extremism researcher Jordyn Abrams notes that data centers have increasingly become targets for extremists motivated by anti-tech, anti-government, and environmental narratives, and that they now function as symbols for a wide range of grievances.