Alexandros Paporakis, a 19-year-old from Palatine, Illinois, has been charged with plotting a mass shooting at a Hindu temple near Chicago after police recovered a white supremacist manifesto and an arsenal from his home. Prosecutors say the teen drove to a Hindu place of worship in Aurora on October 11 with an AR-style rifle and about 300 rounds of ammunition, tried to open fire, but the weapon jammed. He was arrested that evening and ordered detained at his first court appearance on October 14.
The alleged plot and the tip that stopped it
According to Fox 32 Chicago, Mount Prospect police passed a tip about "concerning" electronic communications to Palatine police, who arrested Paporakis as he left his home on Sunday evening, October 11. A search of his home recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and tactical equipment, including a tactical vest with body armor bearing a patch associated with white supremacist extremism. The FBI's Chicago Field Office assisted in the case.
Investigators also recovered an 8-page document titled "Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter's Manifesto)" containing white supremacist statements and references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian descent.
Coworker accounts and the foiled attack
The Indian Express reports that Paporakis, who worked as a Taco Bell cashier in Arlington Heights for about seven months, told a coworker he wanted to kill Indians and planned to attack the largest Hindu temple in Aurora. He allegedly drove there on October 11 with the rifle and attempted to open fire, but the weapon jammed, forcing him to flee. He then searched online for how to fix the jam, sent the coworker a video of the rifle failing to fire and a photo of himself in a tactical vest, and spoke of trying again once the gun was fixed.
His coworkers have said he openly identified as a white supremacist, made disparaging remarks about Indians, and discussed Nazis. NBC Chicago reported he is being treated for ADHD, depression and anxiety.
Charges and what comes next
Paporakis faces one count of making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of weapons for a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. He appeared before the Cook County Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows on October 14, where a judge ordered him detained. His next hearing is set for October 30.
Palatine Police Chief William Nord said "the seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated," adding that protecting communities and places of worship remains a priority. FBI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Ryan Whalen said the bureau works with local and state partners to "dismantle any threats of violence driven by radical ideologies." The teen's public defender noted that the police and prosecution statements remain allegations as the investigation continues.
The arrest comes during the Navaratri festival and two weeks after a Hindu mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio was vandalized, heightening concern among Hindu communities in the United States. Aurora police have contacted Hindu places of worship across their jurisdiction as the case moves forward.
Watch: Teen accused of plotting mass shooting at Chicago-area Hindu place of worship — Fox 32 Chicago's TV report on the arrest and the alleged plot.
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