File photo: Alexandros Paporakis, 19, has been charged over an alleged mass shooting plot that may have targeted a Hindu place of worship near Chicago
Alexandros Paporakis, a Taco Bell cashier from Palatine, Illinois, faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 30. Police believe Paporakis may have attempted to carry out the attack on Sunday, October 11. Surveillance footage showed his car entering the parking lot of a large Hindu temple in Aurora at around 12.25 pm and leaving approximately 13 minutes later. Paporakis has been charged with making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and unlawful possession of a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, a Class 3 felony.
A 19-year-old US man who allegedly told co-workers he “couldn’t wait to kill Indian people” was arrested over a suspected mass shooting plot targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora, near Chicago. Paporakis openly identified himself as a white supremacist at work and regularly made disparaging remarks about people of different races, including Indians, according to prosecutors. His colleagues told investigators that he discussed Nazis and violence and that his behaviour had intensified in the days before his arrest. On Saturday, he allegedly told a co-worker that he “couldn’t wait to kill Indian people” and spoke about a plan involving a Hindu temple in Aurora, a city about 65 kilometres southwest of Palatine. He also told a colleague that Sunday would be “a special day”, according to court documents. The manifesto described Indian, Jewish and Black people as “subhumans” and outlined a plan to kill as many of them as possible, according to a court document obtained by the Associated Press. In the document, Paporakis allegedly described himself as a “sociopathic white supremacist Neo Nazi filled with hatred, fantasising about mass murder nearly every day”. He also portrayed his outward identity as a working college student as a facade concealing his violent intentions, according to the documents. Investigators said he appeared to be alone in the vehicle. The Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora subsequently alerted its members to a security threat, according to The New York Times. Prosecutors allege that Paporakis contacted a co-worker later that day and said his gun had jammed. He reportedly said he had left the scene “super fast” without being seen. He also allegedly sent the colleague a video showing the rifle failing to fire and said he wanted to repair it and try again. He told the co-worker that the man he had fired at had been “certainly saved by his God today”, according to court documents. A search of Paporakis’ home uncovered an AR-style rifle without a serial number, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and tactical equipment, police and prosecutors said. “The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated,” Palatine Police Chief William Nord said, describing the protection of places of worship as a law enforcement priority. Ryan Whalen, the FBI’s Chicago special agent in charge, said the agency worked with local and state authorities to identify and investigate threats driven by extremist ideologies.
Police say he had shared a racist manifesto and visited the temple on the day investigators believe he planned to attack. Prosecutors allege that Paporakis had been planning an attack for about two years, narrowing his focus to a specific location in recent months. He allegedly researched the target using YouTube and Google Street View. Investigators say the material he shared with a co-worker included an eight-page document titled Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto). The precise intended target has not been officially identified by police and remains under investigation. The documents do not establish the identity of the person he allegedly fired at or provide further details about the circumstances. The co-worker contacted police, prompting officers from Palatine and neighbouring Mount Prospect to locate Paporakis. Investigators also recovered a tactical vest with body armour, items bearing Nazi symbolism and a gas canister labelled with an anti-South Asian slur. The evidence, along with the alleged manifesto and electronic communications, is being examined as part of the investigation. The FBI’s Chicago Field Office assisted local police in reviewing the material. He credited the rapid response by the Palatine and Mount Prospect police departments with ensuring that the suspect was taken into custody without harm to the community. It was not immediately clear whether he had entered a plea or secured legal representation.
A judge ordered him detained before trial on Wednesday. Investigators believed he might attempt to carry out the plan again, and officers arrested him outside his home on Sunday afternoon.
In June 2025, between 20 and 30 rounds were reportedly fired at a Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, while people were inside; no injuries were reported. A report by the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate found that the monthly volume of hateful posts about South Asians on X more than tripled between January 2024 and June 2026. Indians receive more than 70% of H-1B visas.
Data on anti-Hindu and anti-Sikh offences therefore offer only a partial picture of the hostility faced by communities whose members often trace their roots to India.
The ministry of external affairs also said it was “deeply concerned” by the alleged plot, describing its reported anti-Hindu and racist nature as “particularly disturbing”. The case has intensified concerns about hostility towards Indian Americans and other South Asian communities in the United States, particularly as anti-immigration rhetoric and disputes over skilled-worker visas have become increasingly contentious. The FBI does not record crimes against Indian Americans as a separate category. Physical attacks and vandalism have also affected Hindu places of worship. A separate temple in Santa Clara, California, was vandalised later that summer. Online hostility has been more pronounced. Researchers have linked some of the hostility to disputes over immigration and the H-1B visa programme, which US employers use to hire skilled foreign workers. Official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called for a thorough investigation, accountability for those responsible and measures to ensure the safety of the Indian community in the US. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.