Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi says family was at Hindu temple during foiled shooting plot

U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi said he and his family were at the Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple in Aurora on Sunday when authorities say a 19-year-old Palatine man attempted to open fire. The suspect, identified as Alexandros Paporakis, allegedly tried to shoot before his rifle jammed, according to information cited from Cook County prosecutors.

Police arrested Paporakis Sunday evening as he left his home on North Baldwin Court after co-workers reported his disclosed plans. A manifesto attributed to him, titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto),” contained white-supremacist and extremist statements. Investigators also recovered weapons, ammunition, tactical gear, body armor and a patch linked to white-supremacist imagery at his residence.

Paporakis is being held in Cook County Jail on charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of weapons, with a court appearance scheduled for Oct. 30. Palatine Police Chief William Nord said a red Acura RDX registered to Paporakis was seen entering the temple parking lot at about 12:25 p.m. and leaving 13 minutes later, and that the plot appears to have been planned solely by the suspect.

"I am horrified that a white supremacist attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans at the Hindu temple in Aurora where my family worships," Krishnamoorthi said in a statement.

"I want to thank that individual for their bravery," Lucas Rothaar, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, said, thanking the co-worker who alerted police.

Krishnamoorthi described the incident as an example of growing anti-Indian hatred and white supremacy, urging prompt action against such threats. The Consulate General of India issued a statement thanking law-enforcement authorities for their timely response and said it is monitoring the situation with the Indian diaspora.