A 19-year-old man has been arrested in the United States for plotting an attack to “potentially target” a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area in Illinois, Chicago. Alexandros Paporakis of Palatine was arrested after a manifesto expressing white supremacist ideologies and containing references to violence against people of “Indian descent” was recovered from his possession following an investigation into an alleged mass shooting plot, according to authorities.
Police started the probe against Paporakis, a Taco Bell cashier from Palatine, after another person reported him for planning a mass shooting. Investigators said Paporakis had shared a document outlining an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting, along with images depicting a rifle, rifle magazines, body armour, and other tactical equipment and accessories with the person who reported him. Officers from the Palatine and Mount Prospect Police Departments coordinated an immediate response, and through their joint efforts, Paporakis was located and taken into custody as he was leaving his residence on the evening of October 11.
“Based on information developed during the investigation, detectives believe Paporakis may have been planning to carry out an attack on Sunday, October 11, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area,” the police said. “The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated,” Palatine Police Chief William Nord said, adding that protecting places of worship is a law enforcement priority. Palatine Police detectives examined electronic communications and a self-titled document attributed to Paporakis, “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora shooter’s manifesto),” which contained “statements expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including references to violence directed toward individuals of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian descent.
The suspect has been charged with one count each of making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of weapons, which comprises a rifle with a barrel less than 16 inches in length.
Paporakis was presented at the Cook County Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows on Wednesday, where a judge ordered him detained. His next hearing is scheduled for October 30.
