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Residential buildings and gardens and urban trees in a small neighbourhood called Wittenburg; the small wooden footbridge is crossing the canal Kattenburgervaart; free photo Amsterdam city, Fons Heijnsbroek, 1601-2022
Photo: Fons Heijnsbroek | CC0 | Wikimedia Commons

Indianapolis Councilor’s Home Riddled With Bullets After Vote for Controversial Data Center

Indianapolis City‑County Councilor Ron Gibson, a Democrat representing District 8, says roughly 13 rounds were fired into his East 41st Street home around 12:45 a.m. Monday while he and his 8‑year‑old son were inside, in what police are calling an isolated, targeted incident. A note reading "no data centers" was reportedly left under his doormat, days after he voted in favor of rezoning for a proposed $500 million MetroBloks data center in the Martindale‑Brightwood neighborhood, a project that has drawn intense local opposition. Photos from the scene show the front door riddled with bullet holes and the outer glass door shattered, though no injuries were reported. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crimes Task Force is leading the investigation with assistance from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, and evidence technicians have processed the scene. Gibson, who has publicly argued the development would bring jobs and long‑term tax revenue to the area, said the attack endangered his child and neighborhood but would not deter him from serving, underscoring rising tensions and fears about political violence around local land‑use and tech‑infrastructure battles.

Political Violence and Public Officials Local Development and Data Centers

📌 Key Facts

  • Shooting occurred around 12:45 a.m. Monday at Councilor Ron Gibson’s home on East 41st Street in Indianapolis while he and his 8‑year‑old son were inside.
  • Approximately 13 rounds were fired; images show a front door full of bullet holes and a shattered outer glass door, but no injuries.
  • A note reading "no data centers" was left under the doormat, days after Gibson voted for rezoning tied to the $500 million MetroBloks data center project.
  • IMPD’s Violent Crimes Task Force is investigating with assistance from the FBI and DHS, and police describe the shooting as an isolated, targeted incident.

📊 Relevant Data

Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood in Indianapolis has a population that is approximately 65.6% Black, 21.5% White, 12.3% other races, with a median household income of $24,200 and a poverty rate of 30%.

Martindale - Brightwood, Indianapolis, IN Demographics — Point2Homes

Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons of water per day for cooling, equivalent to the water use of a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people.

Data Centers and Water Consumption — Environmental and Energy Study Institute

The MetroBloks data center project is projected to create between 50 and 100 permanent jobs and about 300 construction jobs.

Indy commission approves data center in Martindale-Brightwood — Indianapolis Business Journal

Opposition to the MetroBloks data center includes concerns about environmental pollution, increased energy and water use, and existing lead-contaminated soil in the Martindale-Brightwood area.

Metrobloks says its data center is not Big Tech, but Martindale-Brightwood residents aren't convinced — WFYI

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