US teen arrested over alleged Hindu temple attack plot, white supremacist manifesto found
Washington DC/IBNS: A 19-year-old man has been arrested in the United States for allegedly planning a mass shooting targeting a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area of Illinois, media reports said.
Alexandros Paporakis, a resident of Palatine, allegedly possessed a manifesto containing white supremacist ideologies and references to violence against people of Indian descent.
Paporakis appeared before the Cook County Third Municipal District Courthouse in Rolling Meadows, where a judge ordered him to remain in custody.
His next hearing is scheduled for October 30.
The arrest comes just two weeks after the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio, was vandalised.
Police investigate alleged mass shooting plot
The investigation began after an individual reported that Paporakis was allegedly planning a mass shooting.
According to investigators, Paporakis had shared a document outlining an alleged mass shooting plan, along with details of equipment including a rifle, rifle magazines and body armour, with the person who reported him.
"Based on information developed during the investigation, detectives believe Paporakis may have been planning to carry out an attack on Sunday, October 11, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area," police said, as quoted by NDTV.
Paporakis, who reportedly worked as a cashier at Taco Bell, allegedly told a co-worker that Sunday was going to be "a special day".
"The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated," Palatine Police Chief William Nord said, as quoted by NDTV.
Alleged manifesto contained extremist references
Police examined electronic communications and a document allegedly authored by Paporakis as part of the investigation.
The document, titled "Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora shooter's manifesto)," reportedly contained statements expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian descent.
Arrest made on October 11
In a coordinated operation involving officers from the Palatine and Mount Prospect Police Departments, Paporakis was located and taken into custody on the evening of October 11 while allegedly preparing to leave his residence.
The investigation concerns an alleged plan to target a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area. Paporakis remains in custody pending his next court hearing, scheduled for October 30.
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