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Vandalism • Religious Intimidation / Threat · LLA-000060

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Melville, defaced

Date
16 September 2024
Location
Melville, New York, United States
Community
Hindu
Incident type
Desecration / Vandalism, Religious Intimidation / Threat
Religious / Identity Motive ReportedCredible sources report a religious or identity motive; not conclusively established.

Threatening anti-Hindu messages were spray-painted on the temple's driveway and sign. Suffolk County Police investigated it as a hate crime.

Temple Incident Details

Temple / sacred site
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Melville
Tradition / sampradaya
Not recorded
Incident type
Graffiti, Threat / Intimidation
Damage type
Graffiti / defacement
Was anyone inside?
Unknown
Investigation status
Hate-Crime Investigation
Law-enforcement agency
Not publicly identified
Last updated
2026-10-03

Evidence Concerning Targeting or Motive

No specific evidence of motive has been recorded. A perpetrator's religion is never treated as evidence of motive.

Casualties / Displacement

Fatalities
Unknown
Injuries
Unknown
Displaced
Unknown

Where credible sources differ, the archive shows confirmed figures and reported estimates separately rather than a single exact number.

Sources

Primary sources

  1. Community, advocate groups speak out after Hindu temple vandalized in Melville — ABC7 New York, 2024-09-20Contemporaneous News ReportCredible local reporting
    Source

Secondary sources

  1. Appeal for Peace, Long Island, NY, USA — BAPS, 2024-09-16Community DocumentationCommunity documentation
    Source

Methodology

This record distinguishes documented facts from allegations, estimates and disputed interpretations, and may be revised as reliable evidence emerges. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. Read our research methodology.