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Palatine 19-year-old held after alleged threats involving Aurora Hindu temple
A judge ordered Alexandros Paporakis detained after prosecutors said he discussed a planned attack at Aurora’s largest Hindu temple and sent a coworker images of a rifle and tactical gear. Police say the intended location has not been confirmed, and the investigation remains open.
A 19-year-old Palatine man is being held while he awaits trial after prosecutors accused him of making terrorist threats and possessing an illegal rifle, following an investigation into a possible mass-shooting plot that may have involved a Hindu temple in Aurora.
Palatine police said Mount Prospect police contacted them Sunday after receiving a report about concerning electronic communications from Alexandros Paporakis. Officers arrested him outside his Palatine home that evening, police said.
A search of the home turned up a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, tactical equipment, a vest containing body armor and a patch with imagery associated with white supremacist extremism, according to police. With FBI assistance, investigators examined Paporakis’ electronic devices and communications and found a manifesto containing white supremacist and other extremist ideas, including references to violence against South Asians, particularly people of Indian descent, police said.
At a court hearing Wednesday, prosecutors said a coworker reported that Paporakis had identified himself as a white supremacist at work, made racist remarks and discussed Nazis and an armed struggle. Prosecutors said Paporakis told one coworker Saturday that he was planning “it” at Aurora’s largest Hindu temple, then told another coworker Sunday that the day “was going to be a special day.”
Prosecutors said Paporakis later told a coworker by phone that his gun had jammed and he had left quickly. He then sent the coworker messages on Signal that included images of an AR-style rifle, the weapon failing to fire, himself wearing a tactical vest and a copy of his manifesto, prosecutors said. The coworker and another colleague called 911 after speaking with him.
Palatine police said investigators have not confirmed the specific location Paporakis allegedly intended to target. Aurora police were notified and contacted Hindu places of worship in the area to alert them, according to Palatine police.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Paporakis with one count of making a terrorist threat and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon, alleging he possessed a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. Both charges are felonies. The allegations have not been proven in court, and a judge ordered Paporakis detained pending trial.