’20–30 bullets fired’: Iskcon temple targeted in US; India urges action

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco has condemned a series of shooting incidents targeting the Iskcon Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, calling it a “recent firing incident” and urging authorities to act swiftly. “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 Consulate said in a statement.Over the past several days, the temple, renowned globally for its annual Holi Festival, has come under repeated attack, with between 20 to 30 bullets fired at the building and surrounding grounds. Iskcon confirmed the shootings on social media, describing the incidents as suspected hate crimes that occurred during nighttime hours, while devotees and guests were present inside. “The incidents… have resulted in thousands of dollars in structural damage, including to the temple’s hand-carved arches,” Iskcon tweeted.Fox News reported that the shootings have rocked the temple, which sits on a 15-acre hilltop campus and has stood as a community sanctuary for more than two decades. The temple, built in the early 1990s, houses peacocks, llamas and cows alongside the place of worship. According to temple president Vai Warden, the building was shot at on three separate occasions in June. Bullet holes now mark the arches, walls, and windows. “We’ve gone on well over these last decades with no trouble, and now suddenly, whether it’s religious or politically motivated, we don’t know,” Warden said.Security footage captured a vehicle pulling up to the temple gates before shots were fired. Shell casings were later recovered at the scene. “We believe this was based on hate,” Warden added. “We want to find out who did this and prevent this from happening again.”