Political Battle Over Data Centers Turns Violent in Indianapolis
About thirteen shots were fired at Indiana councilman’s home after he voted in support of a data center rezoning measure
WASHINGTON, April 7, 2026 – The political battle over data centers has turned violent in Indianapolis with shots fired at the home of a local elected official.
At approximately 12:45 a.m. on Monday, an estimated 13 shots were fired at an Indianapolis councilman’s home. “NO DATA CENTERS,” read the note that was left under his front doormat.
On April 1, Indianapolis Councilman Ron Gibson, D, was among the city’s leaders who voted 6-2 on a rezoning measure that would allow Los Angeles-based company Metrobloks to build a data center in the northeast side of the city, which is also where he lives.
Gibson said he was awakened by gunshots between 12:45 and 12:50 a.m. Monday, when he and his 8-year-old son were home. While no one was injured in the shooting, the bullets broke through his door and into his dining room, signaling an alarming act of violence in a political battle over data centers.
“I understand that public service can bring strong opinions and disagreement, but violence is never the answer, especially when it puts families at risk,” Gibson said in a statement.
Indiana’s data center boom has recently been a hot topic, with Big Tech’s push to build out facilities and local residents pushing back. Indianapolis plays a central role, positioned as a leading Midwest data center market.
Over the course of the past months, WTHR-TV, an NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, reported that local residents protested the data center proposal, citing environmental and historical preservation concerns. At the City-County meeting vote last week, several held signs opposing Metrobloks and its plan to build the data center.
Metrobloks CEO Ernest Popescu told WTHR that it had already conducted a noise study and proposed plans to address soil management and other environmental effects. He also said the center would benefit the community by bringing jobs and tax revenue.
But to several residents, the effects of Big Tech are more negative than positive. Some have turned to Gibson’s social media page to share their opposition to data centers, saying he is a “traitor” lobbying for a “billionaire vanity project.” Bryce Gustafson of the Indianapolis-based Citizens Action Coalition said Indiana has seen large-scale local pushback on data centers, with more than a dozen projects that lost rezoning petitions as a result, according to the Associated Press.
These rezoning codes, including the one Gibson voted in support of, have been key in the data center permitting and construction process. Chris Jordan, the program manager of AI and innovation at the National League of Cities, said many local governments have been updating zoning codes and rewriting laws to define data centers by power draw instead of square footage. This has slowed proposals as environmental and public safety reviews are conducted.
Data centers as central to Indiana
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, R, made it a point to address citizens’ concerns over data centers in his State of the State Address on Jan. 14. While he didn’t discuss the controversy over proposals in his speech, Braun asserted that electricity rates will not fall on residents, but fall on companies who will “pay for every cent of their new power needs, and then some.”
In February, dark fiber provider Light Source Communications (LSC) announced its newest network buildout, which is designed to enable high-speed processing for artificial intelligence and hyperscalers. LSC said it chose Indianapolis because of its growing data center market and ability to attract corporate investment.
While Big Tech does not seem to be slowing down in Indianapolis, residents have shown that neither will their opposition.
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