A 19-year-old man in the United States has been arrested over an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in the state of Illinois. Video footage circulating online shows Alexandros Paporakis being surrounded by four police officers and handcuffed on the ground before being taken away.
Paporakis was arrested on Sunday in Palatine, a suburb of Chicago. Police stated that the suspect's co-workers at a local Taco Bell alerted authorities after receiving disturbing messages that outlined an alleged shooting plan and included photographs of tactical equipment. Investigators believe Paporakis was planning an attack on a Hindu temple in Aurora, located roughly 65 kilometres southwest of Palatine.
According to prosecutors, co-workers reported that Paporakis openly identified as a white supremacist, expressed a desire to kill Indian people, and mentioned that Sunday would be a special day. Prosecutors also stated that Paporakis called a co-worker earlier that day to claim his gun had jammed and that he had left the location quickly without being seen. This information led the Palatine and Mount Prospect police departments to coordinate efforts, resulting in his arrest as he left his home on Sunday afternoon.
Investigators examining an eight-page document allegedly written by Paporakis, titled Why I Fought: A.K.A. Aurora Shooter's Manifesto, found that it contained white supremacist and neo-Nazi views. Prosecutors said the document described Indian, Jewish, and African American individuals as subhumans and outlined plans to kill as many people from those communities as possible.
During a search of the suspect's residence, detectives recovered an AR-style rifle without a serial number, loaded magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Authorities also located a tactical vest with body armour, a white supremacist extremism patch, a gas canister bearing a slur directed at South Asians, and items displaying Nazi symbolism. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting local law enforcement with the ongoing investigation, while Palatine Police Chief William Nord described the threat as serious.
The Ministry of External Affairs in India expressed concern over the alleged plot, describing its anti-Hindu and racist nature as particularly disturbing. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that India had taken note of the actions taken by United States authorities, including the suspect's arrest, detention, and subsequent charges.
Paporakis faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing weapons. A judge ordered him to remain in custody following a detention hearing, with his next court appearance scheduled for October 30.