A 19-year-old Illinois man, Alexandros Paporakis, is accused of plotting a mass shooting at a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area. Prosecutors alleged he spent months planning the attack, researching the location online and writing an eight-page manifesto calling for violence against multiple racial and religious groups.
Paporakis, of Palatine, was arrested on October 11 and is charged with making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and unlawfully possessing a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, a Class 3 felony. A judge ordered him held pending trial on October 14. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 30. Earlier reporting noted: Raja Krishnamoorthi condemns ‘poison of anti-Indian hatred’ after US teen accused of plotting mass shooting at Hindu temple in Aurora Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has spoken out after a 19-year-old man was arrested after police uncovered an alleged plan for a mass shooting that investigators believe may have targeted a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area.
Co-workers reported that he frequently made racist remarks, identified himself as a white supremacist and openly discussed Nazi ideology and armed violence, according to prosecutors.
Authorities said the alleged attack was prevented after two co-workers alerted police, which led to his arrest before anyone was injured. He has not entered a plea, and the allegations remain unproven in court. Investigators say Paporakis worked as a cashier at a Taco Bell in Arlington Heights. This is where the poison of anti-Indian hatred and white supremacy can lead, and we cannot wait until innocent people are killed to take it seriously. I am grateful to the coworkers who sounded the alarm and the law enforcement officers who intervened,” Krishnamoorthy wrote on X.
Earlier reporting noted: “I am horrified that a white supremacist allegedly attempted to massacre Indian Americans at a Hindu temple in Aurora. Earlier reporting noted: Also Read | US teen, who described Indians as ‘subhumans’, arrested for plotting to attack Hindu temple
How the alleged plot was foiled
Paporakis allegedly told a co-worker on October 10 that he “could not wait to kill Indian people” and planned to use a large quantity of ammunition during the attack, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors say he discussed repairing the firearm so he could “retry” the attack. ideology and fantasies of committing mass murder. The Palatine Police Department said the investigation is continuing with assistance from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office.
The following day, he allegedly called the same co-worker and claimed his firearm had jammed. Prosecutors say he stated he had left the scene quickly after the malfunction. The co-worker then also received a video allegedly showing an AR-style rifle failing to fire. There was a photograph of Paporakis wearing a tactical vest. Alarmed by the messages, two co-workers contacted emergency services, leading police to locate and arrest him in a parking lot near his apartment later that afternoon.
He also allegedly remarked that the intended victim “was certainly saved by his God today.
What did the Manifesto reveal?
Paporakis allegedly sent a co-worker an eight-page document titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)” shortly before his arrest, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors say the document described those groups as “subhumans” and discussed a plan to kill as many people as possible. Prosecutors said Paporakis described that he would appear to be an ordinary white college student while secretly embracing neo-nazi ideology and fantasies of committing mass murder.
Court documents alleged that the manifesto contained racist slurs and hateful statements targeting people of Indian ancestry, Jewish people and Black people. These are allegations contained in charging documents and have not been proven in court. The document allegedly outlined how Paporakis acquired and modified an AR-style rifle. It also described using YouTube and Google Street View to study the intended target. Prosecutors alleged he wrote that he had planned a mass attack for two years and had focused on the specific location for the previous two months. The manifesto also allegedly encouraged others to carry out similar attacks.
