Utah’s Krishna Temple Shot At Repeatedly In Suspected Hate Crime

Photo: ​Utah County Sheriff’s Office (Left), Utah Temple (Right)

India-West News Desk

SPANISH FORK, UT — A series of shootings at the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple here has left the local Hindu community shaken and searching for answers. Temple leaders are calling the attacks a hate crime and are asking the public to help identify the shooter.

Surveillance footage from the temple shows a car pulling up outside the gates and opening fire. The latest incident occurred early on June 28, when multiple gunshots rang out, disturbing nearby residents and leaving fresh damage to the temple’s distinctive structure.

“I was woken up… I heard the gunshots, I counted them—13 of them—and then I looked at my watch,” said temple volunteer Presthaya Dasi, recounting the June 28 shooting to KUTV.

Vai Warden, president of the temple’s board, confirmed that the site was targeted on at least three occasions this month. In total, between 20 to 30 bullets are believed to have been fired at the building, damaging handmade arches, exterior walls, and windows. A bullet was found to have traveled into the temple’s worship hall. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

Warden, who has led the temple since its early years, said the nature of the repeated shootings indicates they were premeditated and motivated by hostility.

“It has to be [a hate crime]. Even if it’s just teenagers, it’s still hatred—because of the repetition, because of the planning,” she told the local media. “We’ve been here for over 20 years, and this is the first time we’ve faced any aggression.”

The 10,000-square-foot temple, built in the early 1990s on a 15-acre campus, has long been a peaceful fixture in the Spanish Fork community. It’s home to peacocks, llamas, and cows, and serves as a sanctuary for people of all backgrounds. Warden emphasized that the temple has always maintained good relations with the predominantly Latter-day Saints community in the area.

Authorities from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have launched an investigation. Detectives from the Investigations Division have reviewed video footage and recovered shell casings from the scene. The sheriff’s office is urging anyone with information to come forward.

Security has since been increased at the temple. A guard has been stationed at night, and additional lighting, fencing, and surveillance cameras are being installed.

The first signs of trouble emerged on June 18 when a loud bang and smoke were noticed coming from the roof of the temple’s radio station. At the time, it was assumed to be fireworks, and no report was filed. But by June 27, evidence of gunfire—bullet holes through a window and into the temple’s structure—made clear that the property had been under attack.

The cost of the damage is significant, especially to the temple’s hand-carved arches, each valued at around $10,000.

While some temple officials suspect religious intolerance, others believe broader political divisions may be fueling the hostility.

“I personally feel there’s an atmosphere these days that’s unfriendly to people who don’t follow the mainstream,” Warden told the Daily Herald. “We try to live simply, peacefully, without violence, envy, or competition—and maybe that’s threatening to some.”