Illinois teen charged after alleged Hindu temple shooting threat
A 19-year-old from Palatine, Illinois, appeared in court on charges of making a terrorist threat and illegal weapon possession after police uncovered a manifesto and firearms linked to a planned attack on a Hindu temple.
Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, Illinois, appeared before a judge on Wednesday on one count of making a terrorist threat and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon after authorities said he plotted a mass shooting at a Hindu temple near Chicago. Police said a manifesto recovered from his home identified him as a white supremacist and expressed hatred toward non-white people.
Prosecutors said Paporakis told a coworker that his rifle jammed and sent messages showing an AR-style rifle, a tactical vest, and describing the weapon’s failure to fire. The coworker and another employee at the Taco Bell where he worked reported the threats to police on Sunday.
"We recovered a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition, as well as body armour," Palatine Police Chief William Nord said, adding that investigators also examined Paporakis' electronics and communications.
"Reading through the manifesto, he did state some extremist ideologies and talked about violence, he talked about mass killings and how he wanted to carry out this mass shooting," Nord continued.
According to prosecutors, Paporakis told a worker on Saturday that he was planning "it" at a Hindu temple in Aurora and described the following Sunday as "going to be a special day" before sending further messages to his colleague. Police have not confirmed a specific target location and the investigation remains ongoing.
Local Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi expressed outrage, stating on Facebook that "Every American deserves to live and worship without fear, and we must stand together against hatred in all its forms."