
Krishna temple in Utah attacked thrice with guns in June in alleged hate crime
The President of the temple, Vai Warden, said the attacks could have been an outcome of "hate"."We believe this was based on hate," Vai Warden, the president of the temple said.The two-decade-old temple is located on top of a hill in Spanish Fork.AROUND 20-30 GUNSHOT FIRED WITH DISCIPLES INSIDEadvertisementThe co-founder of the temple, Vaibhavi Devi, said that over the past several days, 20–30 bullets were fired at the temple building and the surrounding property.The incidents occurred during nighttime hours while devotees and guests were present inside, and have caused thousands of dollars in structural damage, including to the temple's hand-carved arches, Vaibhavi Devi Dasi said in a statement issued on Monday, June 30.The videos and photos show bullet holes in the temple's walls. The casings of the rounds were also discovered outside the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple, reported Fox13, the Utah arm of the Fox News network."A lot of people from different religions come here. It's a sanctuary, a community sanctuary," said Vai Warden, the president of the temple.Warden is now working to make the temple a place of peace again."We want to find out who did this and prevent this from happening again," she was quoted as saying by Fox13."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 shared with Fox 13, the Utah outlet of Fox News.CAR DROVE TO THE TEMPLE THEN GUNSHOTS FIREDThe temple was built over two decades ago in the early 90s. The 10,000-square-foottemple sits on a 15-acre campus with peacocks, llamas and cows in the temple area, the report added.advertisementThe past month has been difficult for the temple.According to Warden, the temple has been shot three different times this month, with bullet holes going through an arch, exterior walls and a window.The security video shows a car driving up to the temple's front gate and someone shooting at the building.The sheriff's office Investigations Division is investigating the evidence found at the temple and is asking anyone with information on vandalism to contact them.A $1,000 reward has been announced for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.- Ends
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The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Meta can't be held liable for gunmaker's Instagram posts in Uvalde families' lawsuit, lawyer argues
A lawsuit filed by families of the Uvalde school shooting victims alleging Instagram allowed gun manufacturers to promote firearms to minors should be thrown out, lawyers for Meta, Instagram's parent company, argued Tuesday. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The families sued Meta in Los Angeles in May 2024, saying the social media platform failed to enforce its own rules forbidding firearms advertisements aimed at minors. The families, who were present at last month's hearing, did not appear in court, with a lawyer citing the back-to-school season. Many plaintiffs attended the hearing virtually, he said. In one ad posted on Instagram, the Georgia-based gunmaker Daniel Defense shows Santa Claus holding an assault rifle. In another post by the same company, a rifle leans against a refrigerator, with the caption: 'Let's normalize kitchen Daniels. What Daniels do you use to protect your kitchen and home?' The lawsuit alleges those posts are marketed toward minors. The Uvalde gunman opened an online account with Daniel Defense before his 18th birthday and purchased the rifle as soon as he could, according to the lawsuit. He also owned various Instagram accounts and had an 'obsessive relationship' with the platform, at times opening the app more than 100 times a day, plaintiffs' lawyers found in an analysis of the shooter's phone. Meta attorney Kristin Linsley argued that the families provided no proof that minors, including the Uvalde gunman, even read the Daniel Defense posts on Instagram. She also said the posts didn't violate Meta's policies because they weren't direct advertisements and did not include links to purchase any products. Katie Mesner-Hage, representing the victims' families, said the defense's claim is 'fundamentally unfair,' as the plaintiffs don't have access to Meta data that would indicate whether the shooter encountered those posts. She added that if the content had landed on the shooter's feed, as the plaintiffs allege, then Meta 'not only knew about it, they designed the system so it would be delivered to him.' 'They knew more about him than anyone else on the planet,' she said. Linsley said content advertising firearms for sale on Instagram is allowed if posted by 'brick-and-motor and online retailers,' but visibility of those posts was restricted for minors under Meta's advertising policies from the end of 2021 to October 2022. 'This is not a playbook for how to violate the rules. This is actually what the rules are,' Linsley said. The plaintiff's team, however, showed a fake profile they created for a 17-year-old boy earlier this month, through which they were able to search Daniel Defense's Instagram account and see a post that included a picture of a gun, as well as a link to the gun manufacturer's website. When the link was clicked, the gun-maker's website opened, and the team was able to select a firearm and add it to their cart, all within Instagram's app — an experiment that refutes Meta's assertion that posts relating to firearms aren't visible to users under 21, Mesner-Hage said. Linsley said in her rebuttal that the experiment was done this year and not in 2021 to 2022, which is when the policy she described was in effect. The families have also sued Daniel Defense and video game company Activision, which produces 'Call of Duty.' Linsley said the Communications Decency Act allows social media platforms to moderate content without being treated as publishers of that content. "The only response a company can have is to not have these kinds of rules at all," Linsley said. 'It just gets you down a rabbit hole very quickly.' Mesner-Hage argued Meta is not protected by the act because social media platforms don't just host speech, but help curate it through its algorithms. Daniel Defense, she said, didn't have to pay for ads to get free access to Meta's analytical data through its business account on Instagram. That data shows the company which age bracket and gender engaged most with a specific post. 'Daniel Defense is not on Instagram to make friends. ... They're on there to promote their product,' Mesner-Hage said. 'It's not a paid advertisement, but I would struggle to describe this as anything other than an advertisement.' The lawsuit alleges that firearm companies tweaked their online marketing to comply with Meta's policies, including by avoiding the words 'buy' or 'sell' and not providing links to purchase, and that the social media company did not protect users against such strategies. Last month, lawyers for Activision also argued that legal proceedings against them should be thrown out, saying the families allegations are barred by the First Amendment. The families alleged that the war-themed video game Call of Duty trained and conditioned the Uvalde gunman to orchestrate his attack. Lawyers for the plaintiffs asked the judge to allow them to amend their lawsuit with the new information they presented Tuesday before ruling on the defense's motion. The defense claimed that was unnecessary, as the case would not have merit even with the amendments. The judge has yet to rule on Activision's motion and did not immediately rule on the Meta case.


India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Ahmedabad School Stabbing: 10th Grader Nayan Dies; Outrage, Vandalism, And Probe Into Non-Veg Dispute
A 10th-grade student in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, has died from stab wounds he received from a 9th-grade student, prompting mass outrage and vandalism of the private school in Khokhra. The 15-year-old victim, named Nayan, was stabbed on Tuesday and hospitalized in critical condition, where he sadly died today. #BreakingNews : अहमदाबाद में 10वीं के छात्र की हत्या, गुस्साए लोगों की स्कूल में तोड़फोड़, 9वीं के छात्र पर हमले का आरोप#GujaratNews #Ahmedabad #Student | @pratyushkkhare — Zee News (@ZeeNews) August 20, 2025 Mob Vandalises School, Attacks Staff Nayan's killing triggered outrage among parents, Sindhi community members (to which Nayan's family belongs), Hindu groups, and ABVP activists. A huge mob attacked the school this morning, causing mass damage to property and reportedly beating school staff. #UPDATE | Gujarat: The class 8 student who was stabbed by a student of class 10 has succumbed to his injuries. — ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2025 A heavy police presence has been stationed in the school to keep things under control due to the growing ire. Accused Detained, Demand For Action Against School Management The 9th-grade student who is alleged to have stabbed another student has been arrested by the police. Action against him is being taken under juvenile law. Protest parents, though, are also calling for cases to be filed against the accused student as well as against the school principal and management, blaming them for the act. The fight between the two boys, Nayan and the accused (who is said to belong to the Muslim community), was over non-vegetarian food, according to one of the protesting parents. Senior police officials such as the JCP and the DCP are present, but the public remains outraged. ALSO READ | Rekha Gupta Attacked: Who is Rajesh? Man Who Attacked Delhi CM During Public Hearing Identified


India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Monu Khatik Murder Case: Man Lynched To Death By Muslim Mob Over Theft Allegation; Family Demands Justice
In Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, a young man named Monu Khatik, a resident of Budhana town, was allegedly killed by a Muslim mob in broad daylight on Sunday. The mob accused Monu of theft and allegedly lynched him to death. The local police received information about the death and have started an investigation. His body has been taken into custody and sent for a post-mortem. Talking to Zee News, Monu's family demanded justice from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Hindu outfits have claimed that Monu was killed due to his religion. Assault Video Goes Viral Videos of the alleged beating have also surfaced on social media, showing Monu being attacked. These clips are now being examined by the police as part of the investigation. The video of Monu's assault has gone viral, where he can be seen pleading and explaining that he visited her sister in the area where she lives on rent. However, the mob did not listen to him. According to the family members of the deceased, Monu was allegedly beaten up on Sunday morning by people from another community on Karabla Road, after they reportedly suspected him of being a thief. The family says that there are visible injury marks on his body from the assault. Zee News पर पीड़ित मोनू का परिवार, कहा- आरोपी को फांसी की सजा हो#UPNews #Muzaffarnagar #Police | @pratyushkkhare — Zee News (@ZeeNews) August 20, 2025 Police Investigation Underway Police have stated that the exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem report is released. Meanwhile, the main accused, Sajid, has been arrested, and a search is ongoing for other suspects involved. The case has led to tension in the local area, with police urging people to remain calm while the investigation proceeds. Minister Assures Action Kapil Dev Agarwal, the MLA from Muzaffarnagar and Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Uttar Pradesh government, visited Budhana on Tuesday following the death of Monu Khatik, who was allegedly beaten by miscreants two days ago. The minister went to the residence of the deceased and met the grieving family members, offering condolences and support. He described Monu's death as deeply tragic and condemned the assault, calling it an inhuman act that brings shame to society. He instructed the district administration and police officials present at the scene to take the strictest possible action against all those involved.