Illinois teen charged over alleged plot to attack Hindu place of worship
In short
A 19-year-old Palatine man faces felony charges after police said they stopped a potential mass shooting targeting a Hindu place of worship near Chicago. Authorities allege that Alexandros Paporakis told a co-worker his gun had jammed and that the co-worker's warning helped police intervene.
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A 19-year-old man from Palatine, Illinois, has been charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing weapons after police said they stopped a potential mass shooting aimed at a Hindu place of worship. Police in the Chicago suburb announced the arrest of Alexandros Paporakis on Wednesday, according to Associated Press reports carried by several outlets. [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]
Investigators believed the intended target was a Hindu temple in Aurora, though the Associated Press accounts said the precise location remained under investigation. Newsweek reported that police had not disclosed the temple's name. The Hill, citing police, reported that there was video evidence of Paporakis's car at the temple. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
Co-workers at Taco Bell told investigators they had received digital communications from Paporakis about an alleged shooting plan and photographs of tactical gear. According to Cook County prosecutors, they said he identified himself at work as a white supremacist and expressed a desire to kill Indian people. Prosecutors said he sent a co-worker an eight-page document describing a plot against Indian, Jewish and Black people. [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]
Prosecutors said Paporakis called a co-worker on Sunday and said his gun had jammed and he had left without being seen. The Hill reported that the co-worker called emergency services and that police credited the warning with helping prevent a worse outcome. Mount Prospect and Palatine police coordinated to locate and arrest him on Sunday afternoon. [ 2 , 5 , 7 ]
Newsweek reported that prosecutors described subsequent messages about repairing the rifle and trying again. It said the allegations were presented at a pretrial detention hearing Wednesday in Rolling Meadows. The Hill also reported that lawmakers expressed shock and outrage at the alleged racially motivated plot. [ 4 , 8 ]
Why it matters
Police credited a co-worker's decision to report concerning messages with helping avert a potentially worse outcome. Prosecutors allege the planned attack was racially motivated, while investigators have not publicly named the temple.
Key facts
- Alexandros Paporakis, 19, faces charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing weapons. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Palatine and Mount Prospect police coordinated his arrest Sunday. [ 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Prosecutors said a co-worker received messages about a planned shooting and a gun malfunction. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Police have not disclosed the temple's name, Newsweek reported. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The intended temple has not been publicly identified. Associated Press reports carried by several outlets said the exact location remained under investigation; Newsweek said police had not disclosed a name.