Bricks Damage Ohio Hindu Temple With Priests and Devotees Inside

Bricks were thrown at the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio, on October 2, damaging the building while priests and devotees were inside, according to accounts from Hindu advocacy groups. No suspect has been publicly identified, and the supplied reports do not establish a religious motive. The Hindu American Foundation said the attack occurred at about 1:30 p.m. and caused significant damage. The Coalition of Hindus of North America said the bricks shattered windows. Neither group provided a full assessment of the damage, and CoHNA did not report whether anyone was injured. HAF said surveillance footage was available and was being reviewed by authorities. The foundation also said it was alerting the FBI and civil-rights authorities and was in contact with temple leaders. The reports do not establish whether those agencies had opened or taken control of an investigation. Both organizations urged a prompt response. HAF called for law enforcement to prioritize identifying those responsible and described the incident as a possible hate crime.