As city council members throughout the U.S. navigate regulations and approvals for AI data centers, communities have been outspoken in their disapproval.
An incident involving one lawmaker's home raised serious concerns after police responded to reports of shots being fired into the house, according to the New York Times. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but an FBI investigation is currently underway.
A note stating "NO DATA CENTERS" was found under the doormat of Indianapolis City-County Councilman Ron Gibson after a gunman fired 13 shots at his residence, leaving the front door shattered.
The councilman was among those in favor of approving a data center to be built in northeast Indianapolis and has previously expressed his support for its construction.
"The proposed data center … represents a rare and significant opportunity to transform this longtime dormant site into a productive, modern asset," he told WTHR.
Numerous residents protested the data center, backed by Los Angeles-based company Metrobloks, in the months leading up to its approval.
"We don't want the contamination. It's going to directly affect our food, it's going to affect our water, and it's going to affect our health," resident Katherine Adamou said in a meeting with the public.
Mr. Gibson issued an emailed statement in response to the incident at his home.
"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 said.
This violent act sparks further discussion about the growing tensions between political officials and communities when it comes to the expansion of resource-intensive data centers.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 The story, shared on the social media platform X, garnered mixed reactions.
"Who would have guessed that doing stuff like this would lead to this. You can't just screw over people's lives and expect to not have consequences," said one user.
"I wasn't expecting us to get to this point so soon," observed another.
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