Washington, D.C.: A 19-year-old man has been arrested in the United States for allegedly planning a mass shooting targeting a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area of Illinois, with investigators recovering a manifesto expressing white supremacist ideologies and references to violence against people of Indian descent, authorities said.
The suspect, Alexandros Paporakis, a resident of Palatine, was taken into custody on October 11 following an investigation triggered by a report that he was planning a mass shooting.
According to the Palatine Police Department, investigators believe Paporakis may have been planning to carry out the attack on October 11, although the exact intended location remains under investigation.
Police said the suspect had allegedly shared a document outlining his plans, along with images of a rifle, magazines, body armour and other tactical equipment, with another individual.
Investigators also examined a document titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora shooter’s manifesto),” which allegedly contained white supremacist and extremist views, including references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly Indians.
The suspect, who worked as a cashier at Taco Bell, had allegedly told his co-workers that Sunday would be “a special day”. According to investigators, he later called a co-worker on October 11, saying his gun had jammed and that he had left “super fast” without being seen.
Following his arrest, police searched his residence and recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, tactical equipment and other items considered relevant to the investigation. Officers also found a tactical vest containing body armour and a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism.
Paporakis has been charged with one count each of making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of weapons, relating to a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. He was presented before the Cook County Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows on Wednesday, where a judge ordered him detained. His next hearing is scheduled for October 30.
The Palatine Police Department said it was working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), while the investigation remained active and authorities reviewed the possibility of additional charges.
Police also coordinated with the Mount Prospect and Aurora police departments to alert Hindu places of worship about the potential threat. Authorities said there was no known ongoing threat to the public associated with the incident.
Reacting to the development, the Hindu American Foundation commended law enforcement for its swift response and urged the community to remain vigilant and report potential threats.
The incident comes amid the Hindu festive season of Navratri and follows the vandalism of the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio, approximately two weeks earlier.
