A 19-year-old man from Palatine, Illinois, has been arrested in connection with an alleged plot that authorities believe may have targeted a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area near Chicago.
Alexandros Paporakis was taken into custody on the evening of October 11 after an investigation into a reported mass shooting plan. Police said a person reported that Paporakis had shared a document outlining an alleged attack, along with images of a rifle, magazines, body armour and other tactical equipment.
Investigators believe he may have been planning an attack for Sunday, October 11, potentially directed at a Hindu temple in the Aurora area. Paporakis, who worked as a cashier at a Taco Bell, had allegedly told co-workers that the day would be “a special day.” He later called one co-worker and said his gun had jammed and that he had left quickly without being seen.
A search of his residence recovered a rifle, multiple loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, tactical gear and a tactical vest containing body armour. Officers also found a patch associated with white supremacist extremism. A document attributed to him, titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora shooter’s manifesto),” contained statements expressing white supremacist ideologies and references to violence against people of South Asian, particularly Indian, descent.
Paporakis has been charged with one count of making a terrorist threat and one count of unlawful possession of weapons involving a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. He was ordered detained at a hearing in Rolling Meadows and is next scheduled to appear in court on October 30.
The Aurora Police Department was notified of the potential threat, and outreach was conducted to Hindu places of worship in the area. Authorities said there is no known ongoing threat to the public. The investigation remains active in coordination with the FBI.
The arrest occurred during the Hindu festive season of Navaratri and followed a recent incident of vandalism at a Hindu temple in Ohio.
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