Police in a Chicago suburb said Wednesday they had stopped a potential mass shooting and arrested a 19-year-old man suspected of planning an attack on a Hindu place of worship.
Alexandros Paporakis, a Taco Bell cashier from Palatine, Illinois, has been charged with felony counts of making a terrorist threat and illegally possessing weapons. Investigators believe he may have intended to target the largest Hindu temple in nearby Aurora, though they have not identified a confirmed target. It was not immediately known whether Paporakis had an attorney.
Paporakis’ co-workers alerted police after receiving disturbing digital messages, including a document that allegedly detailed plans for a mass shooting and photographs of tactical equipment. According to prosecutors with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, the workers said Paporakis openly described himself as a white supremacist and told them he was eager to kill Indian people.
Mount Prospect and Palatine police worked together to find and arrest Paporakis as he left his home Sunday afternoon. Detectives believe that was the day he may have intended to launch an attack, Palatine police said. The suspect had reportedly told co-workers at Taco Bell that Sunday would be “a special day.”
Earlier that Sunday, prosecutors said, Paporakis called one co-worker and claimed his gun had jammed. He allegedly added that he had left “super fast” without being noticed.
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“The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated,” Palatine Police Chief William Nord said, emphasizing that safeguarding houses of worship remains a priority for law enforcement.
According to prosecutors, Paporakis sent the co-worker an eight-page document titled “Why I fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto).” A court filing obtained by The Associated Press says the document referred to Indian, Jewish and African American people as “subhumans” and described a plan to kill as many people from those groups as possible.
A search of Paporakis’ home turned up an AR-style rifle with no serial number, loaded magazines and ammunition, police and prosecutors said. Investigators also found a gas canister marked with a slur targeting South Asians, along with several items featuring Nazi symbols.
In the alleged manifesto, Paporakis reportedly identified himself as “a sociopathic white supremacist Neo Nazi filled with hatred, fantasizing about mass murder nearly every day.”
A judge ordered Paporakis held in jail while he awaits trial. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30.
