A 19-year-old from Palatine, Illinois, was arrested on October 11 after authorities said they stopped a planned mass shooting at the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora, USA. Alexandros Paporakis faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. He is being held without bail.
The tip came from a co-worker at the Taco Bell in Arlington Heights where Paporakis worked as a cashier. Prosecutors say he had told colleagues he “couldn’t wait to kill Indian people” and described October 11 as a “special day.” One co-worker contacted police after receiving messages, photos of tactical gear, and an eight-page document Paporakis titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto).”
Indian, Jewish, and Black descent people facing threat
In the manifesto, according to court filings, he identified as a neo-Nazi and white supremacist and wrote about wanting to kill as many people of Indian, Jewish, and Black descent as possible, calling them “subhumans.” Prosecutors say he described planning the attack for roughly two years and researching the temple through YouTube and Google Street View for the previous two months. He also wrote that he would appear to be an ordinary college student while privately fantasising about mass murder.
Surveillance showed a red Acura RDX registered to Paporakis entering the temple parking lot at about 12:25 p.m. on October 11, while families were there for Navratri, and leaving roughly 13 minutes later. Prosecutors allege he tried to fire from the vehicle, but the rifle jammed. He later messaged a co-worker that the person he had aimed at was “certainly saved by his God today” and talked about fixing the weapon so he could try again. Police arrested him near his Palatine home later that evening as he was leaving.
A search of the residence turned up an unregistered AR-style “ghost gun,” loaded magazines, about 300 rounds of ammunition, a tactical vest with white supremacist patches and Nazi imagery, and a gas canister marked with a slur aimed at South Asians.
The temple has increased security. India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it was deeply concerned by the reports. Community leaders and members of Congress have condemned the plot and called for closer attention to online extremism. The FBI is assisting the investigation. Paporakis’s next court date is October 30 in Rolling Meadows. The charges are allegations; he has not entered a plea.
