A 19-year-old man has been arrested in Illinois for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora. Police recovered a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, body armour and a vest carrying a patch with white supremacist imagery from his home.
Alexandros Paporakis, a resident of Palatine, was arrested on October 11 after police received a tip from an individual who reported receiving alarming electronic communications from him. Investigators found a document titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora shooter’s manifesto)” that contained extremist statements and references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, specifically those of Indian descent.
Police believe Paporakis may have been planning to carry out the attack on the same day he was arrested. The intended target has not been confirmed but authorities alerted Hindu places of worship in the Aurora area. He has been charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a weapon – specifically a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. He was ordered detained after a hearing and is scheduled to appear in court again on October 30.
The investigation began after Mount Prospect Police shared the tip with Palatine police. The FBI is now involved and assessing whether additional charges are warranted. Authorities said they had not identified any ongoing threat linked to the case.
The Indian Consulate in Chicago said it was monitoring the situation and appreciated the timely action by law enforcement. Indian-origin Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi called the plot a direct consequence of anti-Indian hatred and white supremacist ideology.
The arrest was possible because a co-worker reported the communications. Without that tip, the outcome could have been very different.
Source: India Today (PTI)
