Alleged plan and arrest

Police in Palatine, Illinois, say Alexandros Paporakis, 19, planned a mass shooting at a Hindu place of worship and that the plan was stopped before it could be carried out. Prosecutors say he told co-workers at a Taco Bell that he "couldn't wait to kill Indian people" and that Sunday would be a "special day". Investigators believe he meant to attack the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora, about 40 miles west of Chicago, although police said the specific intended location has not been confirmed. Two co-workers called police after he described a failed attempt to them, and officers from Palatine and neighbouring Mount Prospect arrested him near his home on Sunday, 11 October, following a tip. Investigators have not confirmed his account that he tried to fire his rifle and that it malfunctioned. Palatine Police Chief William Nord called the alleged threat serious.

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

Movements and evidence

Police say a red Acura RDX registered to Paporakis entered the temple parking lot at 12:25 p.m. on Sunday and left at 12:38 p.m. Chief Nord said Paporakis was seen alone inside the car around 2 p.m., driving near his home in another suburb about 40 miles away. Inside his bedroom, where he had lived with his mother for about a year, officers recovered a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds and tactical equipment. Court documents describe items bearing Nazi symbols, including swastikas, and a gas can labelled with an anti-Indian slur. A manifesto allegedly sent to a co-worker called Indian, Jewish and Black people "subhumans" and laid out a plan to kill as many of them as possible, according to a court document obtained by The Associated Press. Officers also recovered a tactical vest with a patch displaying white supremacist imagery.

Lawmakers and the temple

The temple's leaders said in a statement that a security threat had targeted the temple and that armed security had been increased effective immediately. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, said his parents had spent the day at the temple on Sunday, when crowds gathered for the start of the Hindu holiday Navaratri, and that he stopped by himself.

“The threat of such violence shows how dangerous anti-Indian hatred and white supremacy have become, and we cannot wait until innocent people are killed to take these threats seriously.”

He asked the FBI to investigate the case as a hate crime and urged the Trump administration to release federal nonprofit security grants for religious institutions. He also wants more FBI resources devoted to domestic violent extremism, arguing that authorities should not have to depend on co-workers' tips to stop attacks. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, said he was appalled by the attempted mass shooting and that his thoughts were with Krishnamoorthi and his family.

Wider concerns about anti-Indian hate

India's foreign ministry said it was deeply concerned by the incident and called its anti-Hindu and racist nature particularly disturbing, urging US authorities to investigate thoroughly and bring those responsible to justice. Stop AAPI Hate's September report says that almost half of South Asian respondents nationally reported a race-based hate incident in 2025. The same report found that online slurs against South Asians more than doubled between 2023 and 2025. The Center for the Study of Organized Hate, in a September report, counted a more than threefold increase in South Asian hate posted on X between January 2024 and June 2026. Krishnamoorthi also pointed to a rise in online hate speech against Indian Americans and other minorities, and he accused some figures in the MAGA movement of stoking hostility instead of condemning it. He said the community is shaken and that worshippers should not let fear disrupt Diwali celebrations, although additional security may be needed.

Court proceedings

On Wednesday, 14 October, Paporakis appeared for a detention hearing, and a judge ordered him held pending trial. Police, after consulting prosecutors, say he faces two felony counts: making a terrorist threat and unlawful weapon possession, the second tied to a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. Police said the investigation remains open. His next court appearance is scheduled for 30 October.