US: 19-Year-Old Arrested Over Alleged Plot to Attack Hindu Temple in Illinois
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New Delhi , October 15 : A 19-year-old youth has been arrested in the United States for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois. The accused, Alexandros Paporakis, faces charges of making a terrorist threat and illegally possessing a rifle.
After returning home, he allegedly searched online for ways to repair the rifle and sent messages and a video of the failed attempt to a co-worker. Two employees subsequently alerted emergency services, leading to his arrest.
The accused faces a Class X felony charge of making a terrorist threat and a Class 3 felony charge related to unlawful rifle possession. His public defender has stressed that the allegations remain unproven, and the investigation is continuing.
According to prosecutors, the alleged attack was thwarted after the rifle reportedly jammed and a co-worker alerted the police. Paporakis, a resident of Palatine, was arrested on October 11 and ordered to remain in custody without bond following a court hearing in Rolling Meadows on Wednesday. His next court appearance is scheduled for October 30.
According to court records, Paporakis worked as a cashier at a Taco Bell outlet in Arlington Heights for around seven months. Investigators said his co-workers reported that he had expressed white supremacist views, made racist remarks targeting Indians and frequently discussed Nazi ideology and armed violence.
Prosecutors alleged that on October 10, Paporakis told a co-worker that he wanted to kill Indians and intended to attack what he described as the largest Hindu temple in Aurora.
Investigators alleged that he travelled to the temple area the following day carrying an AR-style rifle, approximately 300 rounds of ammunition, body armour and other tactical equipment. The weapon reportedly jammed when he attempted to fire it.
Breaking: Top US Hindu body, the Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC) issues urgent security alert for temples in US after thwarted alleged plot of shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois pic.twitter.com/SfRLKtvuby
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) October 15, 2026
During a search of the accused's residence, investigators reportedly recovered an AR-style rifle without a serial number, loaded magazines, ammunition, body armour and items bearing Nazi symbols.
Police, assisted by the FBI's Chicago field office, also recovered an eight-page document titled Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter's Manifesto). Prosecutors alleged that it contained white supremacist and neo-Nazi views and outlined plans for a mass-casualty attack.
The Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora has been identified in media reports as a possible target. However, authorities said the specific intended target had not been conclusively established. Police stated that no continuing threat to the public had been identified.