Illinois Teen Charged in Alleged Hindu Temple Mass Shooting Plot
A 19-year-old from Palatine, Illinois, faces felony charges after police say a coworker's tip foiled an alleged plan to attack a Hindu temple in Aurora. A judge ordered him held without bond and approved jail healthcare including hormone treatment.
A 19-year-old from Palatine, Illinois, is being held without bond after authorities said he planned a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in the Chicago suburb of Aurora and was stopped only because a coworker reported a suspicious message, according to police.
Alexandros Paporakis faces one felony count of making a terrorist threat and one felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon, Palatine Police announced at a Thursday news conference. A Cook County judge ordered him held without bond and entered a jailhouse healthcare order noting that the teenager receives hormone injections for gender transition and is being treated for ADHD, depression and anxiety.
Prosecutors allege Paporakis drove to the temple armed with a modified rifle, roughly 300 rounds of ammunition, body armor and other tactical gear. Authorities said he intended to carry out a shooting but returned home after the rifle malfunctioned. Once home, he searched the internet for ways to clear the jam and called a colleague to describe his intent to carry out a mass shooting, police said.
The break in the case came from that colleague and other coworkers at a Taco Bell, who contacted Mount Prospect Police about the message. The tip led investigators to obtain a search warrant and detain Paporakis before he could return to the temple, according to police.
Police said they identified a red Acura registered to Paporakis after receiving the report. Surveillance video showed the vehicle entering the temple parking lot at 12:25 p.m. and leaving a few minutes later. Paporakis was later seen driving to a residence on Rand Road in Palatine that he shared with his mother. During a search of the home, officers found a rifle, a loaded magazine, hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition and other tactical gear.
Investigators also recovered what they described as an eight-page manifesto detailing the alleged attack and the suspect's white supremacist views. According to police, the writings expressed hate, violence, claims of racial superiority and plans for a mass shooting of Indian people. The document targeted Jewish people, African-Americans, Indians and people described as non-white, referring to them as «subhumans» and stating an intent to kill as many as possible.
Police said Paporakis described himself as a «sociopathic white supremacist Neo-Nazi filled with hatred» who fantasized about mass murder nearly every day. The manifesto also referred to him as the «Aurora Shooter.»
FBI Chicago Field Office acting special agent in charge Lucas Rothaar praised the person who came forward, saying a single courageous member of the public can prevent acts of violence or terrorism. Authorities encouraged anyone who encounters something suspicious to report it to law enforcement.
The temple said it was aware of the security threat and had increased protections. In a message on its website, the temple said the safety of devotees, employees and volunteers is its highest priority and that it had implemented additional measures effective immediately, including an increased armed security presence and other steps to maintain a safe environment.
Paporakis is scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 30. The case has drawn attention to the role of bystander reports in disrupting planned attacks and to the security challenges facing houses of worship.
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