‘Just start shooting’: Death threats over data centers are tearing American towns apart
A CNN investigation found more than 100 police reports documenting bomb threats, death threats and other violent rhetoric directed at data centers, workers and public officials across the United States. The threats are fueled by opposition to data centers’ electricity and water demands, as well as broader anger over artificial intelligence, prompting investigations, arrests and increased law-enforcement monitoring.
A CNN review of more than 100 police reports found escalating threats against data centers and officials involved in their approval, including a hoax bomb warning at an Amazon construction site in Manassas, Virginia. Communities in states including Illinois, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Tennessee have reported bomb scares, online threats, confrontations and alleged plots tied to opposition to data-center development and artificial intelligence.
The investigation found that most threats did not result in violence, but they have consumed police resources and heightened fears among workers and elected officials. Authorities have monitored protests and pursued criminal cases, while some defendants and activists said their actions reflected concerns about rising electricity costs, water consumption and the environmental effects of AI infrastructure rather than extremist beliefs.
Several cases remain pending, while others were dismissed or reduced through plea agreements. Law-enforcement agencies and extremism researchers warned that anti-data-center grievances are attracting people from diverse political movements, even as activists such as Humans First chair Amy Kremer said their protests are peaceful and constitutionally protected.