A 19-year-old Taco Bell employee in Illinois has been arrested after allegedly outlining a plan to carry out a mass shooting targeting Indian, Jewish and African American people, including a possible attack on a Hindu temple in Aurora.
Alexandros Paporakis allegedly showed co-workers an eight-page document described by investigators as a manifesto, along with photographs of his tactical equipment. Prosecutors from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said he identified himself as a white supremacist at work and told colleagues that he “couldn’t wait to kill Indian” people.
A colleague alerted police, allowing authorities to intervene before the alleged plan could be carried out. Officers from the Mount Prospect and Palatine police departments located Paporakis and arrested him as he was leaving his home on Sunday afternoon.
Investigators believe he may have been preparing to carry out the attack that day at a Hindu temple in Aurora, approximately 40 miles (65 km) southwest of Palatine. The precise intended target is still under investigation, although officials believe the largest Hindu temple in southwest suburban Aurora may have been the focus.
Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple is the largest Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois.
Searches of Paporakis’s home led to the recovery of a rifle, several loaded rifle magazines and hundreds of additional rounds of rifle ammunition. Police also found a tactical vest with body armour and a patch featuring imagery linked to white supremacist extremism.
Detectives examined electronic communications and a document attributed to Paporakis titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)”. A court document said the text referred to Indian, Jewish and African American people as “subhumans” and described a plan to kill as many of them as possible.
Prosecutors further alleged that Paporakis called a co-worker earlier on Sunday and said his gun had jammed before he left “super fast” without being seen.
After consulting prosecutors from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, police charged Paporakis with felony counts of making a terrorist threat and unlawful weapon possession.
Paporakis appeared at a detention hearing on Wednesday, where a judge ordered that he remain in custody. Police said his next court appearance is scheduled for October 30.
Human rights advocates have said hostility towards South Asians has increased in the United States in recent years, citing rising anti-immigration rhetoric and policies alongside the growth of white supremacist ideology.
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