US Man’s Plot to Attack Hindu Temple Foiled After Rifle Malfunctions

A suspected mass shooting targeting a Hindu temple in the US state of Illinois was thwarted after the alleged attacker’s rifle reportedly jammed, preventing him from opening fire, authorities said. The 19-year-old man was arrested following a tip-off from a co-worker.

Alexandros Paporakis, who allegedly identified himself as a “white supremacist Neo Nazi”, appeared in court on Wednesday (local time) and was charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of weapons.

According to prosecutors, Paporakis admitted to his co-worker that he had visited a Hindu temple in Aurora, around 70 kilometres from Chicago, on Saturday and attempted to carry out the attack. However, his rifle failed to fire when he pulled the trigger, forcing him to flee the scene.

Aurora has three Hindu temples, and police have alerted religious institutions in the area about the threat.

Paporakis was arrested outside his home in Palatine, approximately 60 kilometres from Chicago, on Sunday after his co-worker, who worked with him at a fast-food restaurant, informed the police.

During a hearing at the county court in Rolling Meadows, the judge ordered him to remain in custody until October 30, when he is scheduled to appear in court again.

Palatine Police Chief William Nord said officers searching Paporakis’s residence recovered a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and body armour. The armour reportedly featured designs associated with white supremacist extremism.

“The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated,” Nord said.

Prosecutors said Paporakis had contacted his co-worker through a text message on Sunday, asking them to call him. During the conversation, he allegedly disclosed his attempt to carry out the shooting and said he had fled “superfast” after the rifle failed to fire.

The co-worker subsequently contacted police in Mount Prospect, who passed the information to authorities in Palatine.

Paporakis also allegedly sent the co-worker a photograph of himself wearing a tactical vest, along with an eight-page document titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)”.

According to court documents, the document contained racist statements targeting people of Indian origin and a Hindu temple. Prosecutors alleged that Paporakis had expressed an intention to kill as many people from minority communities as possible before dying.

Authorities said the document also contained expressions of hatred towards Jewish people and other non-white communities, including African Americans.

Police Chief Nord said the writings described extremist ideologies, violence and mass killings, and outlined the alleged suspect’s desire to carry out a mass shooting.

Prosecutors further alleged that Paporakis had been planning the attack for two years and had described himself as a “sociopathic white supremacist Neo Nazi filled with hatred”.

Police said they worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to access his electronic devices and communications as part of the investigation.

According to prosecutors, Paporakis may have mental health issues. His co-worker told police that he had been behaving erratically over the weekend.

Paporakis lived with his mother, who, according to police, had been unable to prevent him from purchasing a weapon.

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