US teen arrested over alleged Hindu temple attack plot

A 19-year-old man has been arrested in Illinois, US, over an alleged plot to carry out a major attack on a Hindu temple in Aurora, with police recovering a rifle, ammunition and tactical equipment from his home.

The suspect, identified as Alexandros Paporakis of Palatine, allegedly possessed a manifesto promoting white supremacist ideology and encouraging violence against people of Indian descent, according to investigators.

His arrest came shortly before the Hindu community's major festival, Durga Puja, and about two weeks after a Hindu temple in Richmond Heights, Ohio, was vandalised.

Paporakis appeared before a judge at the Cook County Third Municipal District courthouse in Rolling Meadows last Wednesday. The judge ordered him held in custody. His next hearing is scheduled for October 30.

The investigation began after a person informed police that Paporakis was planning a major attack. Investigators said the suspect had sent the person a document outlining an alleged attack plan, along with images of a rifle, rifle magazines, body armour and other tactical equipment.

Based on the evidence gathered, detectives believe Paporakis planned to attack a Hindu temple in Aurora on October 11, police said.

The suspect, who worked as a cashier at a Taco Bell restaurant in Palatine, had reportedly told co-workers that Sunday would be a “special day”, according to investigators.

On the morning of October 11, he called a co-worker and said a gun component had jammed. He also reportedly said he had left the area quickly without giving anyone an opportunity to act.

Palatine Police Chief William Nord said the seriousness of the threat could not be underestimated. He added that protecting places of worship remained a major priority for law enforcement.

Police from Palatine and Mount Prospect jointly arrested Paporakis on the evening of October 11 as he was leaving his home.

During a subsequent search of his residence, detectives recovered a rifle, several magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, tactical equipment and other evidence related to the case.

Investigators also found body armour in a tactical vest bearing a symbol associated with white supremacist extremism.

-EM