Multiple shots fired at Iskcon Temple in US in suspected hate crime, India demands 'prompt action'

Multiple shots fired at Iskcon Temple in US

Over two dozen bullets were fired at the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in the United States in a suspected hate crime. The bullets, as the reports say, were fired over several nights in June and have led to structural damage in the temple located in Spanish Fork in Utah.

It is suspected that the firing was targeted and is a part of a larger hate crime. The bullets targeted the building and the nearby properties on several nights - when devotees were present inside the temple premises. Reportedly, the firing has caused damage worth thousands of dollars and includes the temple's intricately hand-carved arches.

Fox13 and The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the first incident of firing occurred on June 18 when the temple’s co-founder, Vai Warden, woke up by a loud sound near the Krishna Radio station building adjacent to the temple in the middle of the night.

The sound was initially dismissed as the noise from fireworks but later, the authorities found bullet marks on the temple building. The security footage of the temple cameras confirmed that more bullets were fired at the temple on June 20. The footage also showed a vehicle approaching the temple and an individual firing at the temple building before quickly rushing away.

Wardem, while speaking to the media, said that the temple authorities believe that the attack was intentional. "This wasn’t a random act of vandalism. Someone came here with the intent to cause fear or harm," he said, adding, “It’s an attack on a sacred space and a peaceful community."

Warden also confirmed that such an incident has happened for the first time and that the temple, which belongs to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), has never faced such violence in its 30-year history in Spanish Fork.

India has reacted strongly to the incident. "We strongly condemn the recent firing incident at the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. The Consulate extends full support to all the devotees and the community and urges the local authorities to take prompt action to bring the perpetrators to justice," the Indian Consulate in San Fransico said in a statement.