A 19-year-old suburban Chicago man remained in custody following his arrest over an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting that authorities said may have targeted a Hindu temple in northern Illinois.
Alexandros Paporakis, of Palatine, was apprehended Sunday evening as he left his home, according to the Palatine Police Department. Officers from Palatine and neighboring Mount Prospect coordinated the arrest after receiving reports about alarming communications sent by Paporakis.
A judge ordered Paporakis detained during a hearing Wednesday at the Cook County Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows. Prosecutors with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges including making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and unlawful possession of a rifle with a barrel under 16 inches, a Class 3 felony, local police reported.
Coworkers reported threats to police
The investigation began after coworkers from a Taco Bell where Paporakis was employed contacted law enforcement, CBS News reported. According to prosecutors, a coworker reported receiving messages and images depicting an AR-style rifle, tactical equipment, and photos of Paporakis wearing a tactical vest.
Prosecutors said Paporakis told a colleague by telephone that his weapon had jammed and sent communications indicating the rifle failed to fire when he pulled the trigger, CBS News reported. Investigators said Paporakis had also remarked on Saturday that Sunday “was going to be a special day” and indicated he was planning an attack at an Aurora Hindu temple, according to prosecutors. Another colleague told detectives that Paporakis frequently expressed white supremacist views at work and stated that he wanted to kill people of Indian descent, prosecutors told the court.
A search of the suspect’s residence yielded a short-barreled rifle, multiple loaded magazines, hundreds of additional rounds of ammunition, and body armor bearing a patch displaying extremist white supremacist symbols, police said.
Manifesto cited anti-Indian hostility
Detectives reviewing digital devices recovered a document attributed to Paporakis titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto),” according to Palatine police. Authorities said the writing contained white supremacist rhetoric and explicitly cited violence directed at people of South Asian descent, especially those of Indian heritage.
Investigators believe Paporakis planned to launch an attack on Sunday, Oct. 11, potentially aimed at a Hindu temple in Aurora, roughly 40 miles southwest of Palatine. Palatine police emphasized that a specific intended location has not been conclusively confirmed, and the Aurora Police Department notified local Hindu places of worship regarding the investigation.
“The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated,” Palatine Police Chief William Nord said in a statement.
Federal authorities also intervened in the case. Ryan Whalen, the special agent in charge of the FBI Chicago field office, said in a statement that agents work directly with local departments to dismantle violence rooted in radical ideologies. Palatine authorities noted there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the community.
Diplomatic and community reaction
The arrest drew attention both locally and internationally. U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat, said in a statement that he was “horrified” by the allegations, adding, “Every American deserves to live and worship without fear, and we must stand together against hatred in all its forms.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it was “deeply concerned” about the incident, calling its anti-Hindu and racist dimensions “particularly disturbing” and calling on American officials to thoroughly investigate and prevent similar threats, according to The Guardian.
Paporakis is scheduled to return to court in Rolling Meadows on Oct. 30. It was not immediately clear whether he had retained private legal counsel or been assigned a public defender.
