Illinois Teen Charged Over Alleged Plot to Attack Hindu Temple in Aurora

Updated 05:51 UTC, October 16, 2026

Police gave a sharper account on Thursday of the alleged attempt itself. A co-worker told investigators that Paporakis said his rifle jammed after he tried to shoot at a man from his vehicle, and that he sent a video that appeared to show an AR style rifle failing to fire. Police said they have not confirmed whether the gun actually jammed, and they have not determined where the video was recorded or where the alleged attempt took place. Police also said Paporakis had lived with his mother in Palatine for about a year, that she is not cooperating with investigators, and that electronic devices from the home are being examined at the FBI forensic laboratory in Chicago. Federal and local prosecutors are reviewing the case and deciding whether federal charges will be filed. Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department assistant attorney general for civil rights, said on Wednesday that her office would review and investigate the case.

Condemnation widened on Friday, October 16. Aurora Mayor John Laesch said hate has no place in Aurora and that no one should feel unsafe for practising their faith. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said hate has no home in Illinois. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus said the alleged plot showed the real danger of white supremacist ideology to communities and houses of worship, and cited a report released on September 28 that found a sharp rise in online hate aimed at South Asian Americans. Senators and House members from both parties condemned the alleged attack, among them Chuck Schumer, Tammy Duckworth, Ro Khanna, Rich McCormick and Jamie Raskin. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi said his family has worshipped at the Aurora temple for about 40 years, that his parents were there all day on Sunday, and that he learned of the alleged attack only when police announced it late on Wednesday. He said he will ask law enforcement to investigate the case as a hate crime and called for federal security grants for temples, synagogues, mosques and churches.

Police gave new details on Thursday, October 15, about the hours before the arrest. Palatine Police Chief William Nord said surveillance video showed a red Acura RDX registered to Paporakis entering the parking lot of a Hindu temple in Aurora at about 12:25 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, leaving at about 12:38 p.m., and reaching the Palatine area shortly before 2 p.m. Nord said Paporakis appeared to be alone in the car. Investigators believe so far that he acted alone, and police said there is no known ongoing threat linked to this incident.

Leaders of the Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple in Aurora said in a statement that a security threat had targeted their temple and that they had added security, including a larger armed presence, effective immediately. Police declined to name the temple. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi said he was at the temple on Sunday. The acting head of the FBI office in Chicago thanked the co-worker who called 911.

Police in a Chicago suburb say two co-workers helped stop a planned mass shooting at a Hindu place of worship. Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, Illinois, was arrested on Sunday, October 11, after people who worked with him reported messages that pointed to an attack. Police announced the arrest on Wednesday, October 14. Paporakis is charged with making a terrorist threat and with unlawful possession of weapons. Nobody was hurt.

The Palatine Police Department said the case began when officers in nearby Mount Prospect passed on a report from a person who had received worrying electronic messages from Paporakis. Officers arrested him on Sunday afternoon as he left his home. Detectives later searched the home and found a rifle, several loaded magazines and hundreds of extra rounds, police said. They also found a tactical vest with body armor and a patch linked to white supremacist extremism. The FBI is helping with the investigation.

An eight page document

Detectives said they read an eight page document attributed to Paporakis, with a title that cast him as a future Aurora shooter. Police said the document set out white supremacist ideas and spoke of violence against people of South Asian heritage, above all people of Indian descent. Prosecutors said it also targeted Jewish and Black people and described a plan to kill as many people as possible. Prosecutors said the document described about two years of planning, two months focused on the chosen location, online study of the site, and work to modify an AR style rifle.

The day police say he chose

Prosecutors said co-workers at the Taco Bell in Arlington Heights, where Paporakis worked as a cashier, reported that he called himself a white supremacist, made racist remarks and talked openly about Nazi ideas and armed violence. On Saturday, October 10, he told a co-worker that he could not wait to kill Indian people, prosecutors said, and he had called the coming Sunday a special day. On Sunday he rang the same co-worker and said his gun had jammed and that he had left the scene fast and unseen, prosecutors said. They said he also sent a video of a rifle failing to fire and a photo of himself wearing a tactical vest, and spoke about fixing the gun and trying again.

Detectives believe he may have planned to attack that Sunday at a Hindu place of worship in Aurora, about 40 miles (65 kilometres) southwest of Palatine. Reports describe the intended target as the largest Hindu temple in Aurora. Police said the exact location has not been confirmed and remains under investigation.

India reacts

India's Ministry of External Affairs said it is deeply concerned by the reports. Its spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, called the reported anti-Hindu and racist character of the plot particularly disturbing, noted the arrest and the charges, and said India expects a thorough investigation and firm steps to keep the Indian community safe. He called for vigilance and zero tolerance of hate motivated violence. India's consulate in Chicago welcomed the swift police action and said it is in touch with members of the Indian community and following developments closely.

Palatine Police Chief William Nord called the alleged threat extremely serious and said protecting places of worship is a priority for his department. Paporakis has not entered a plea, and the allegations have not been tested in court. A judge ordered him held after a hearing on Wednesday. His next court date is October 30. Rights advocates have told Reuters that hostility toward South Asians in the United States has risen in recent years, fed by anti-immigration rhetoric and white supremacist ideology.