‘Couldn’t Wait to Kill Indian People’: US Teen Accused of Hindu Temple Attack Told Co-Worker

A US teenager accused of planning a mass shooting at a Hindu temple near Chicago allegedly told a co-worker he “couldn’t wait to kill Indian people” and called Sunday his “special day”. His co-workers alerted police after hearing the threats.

Alexandros Paporakis was arrested on October 11 after his co-workers reported the alleged threats to authorities. He faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing a rifle.

Investigators believe Paporakis may have visited the parking lot of Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora, Illinois, hours before his arrest, according to The Associated Press (AP). The temple is about 40 miles west of downtown Chicago.

Police said the specific location he intended to target had not been confirmed and remained under investigation.

Accused Allegedly Vowed to Retry Attack After Gun Jammed

Prosecutors said Paporakis told a co-worker on Sunday afternoon that his gun had jammed and he had left the location in a hurry. He allegedly said he would “retry” the attack.

He also sent the co-worker a video showing an AR-style rifle and a photograph of himself wearing a tactical vest, according to AP.

The two worked together at a Taco Bell outlet. After hearing the alleged threats, the co-workers called 911, leading authorities to arrest Paporakis near his home in Palatine, a Chicago suburb.

Palatine Police Chief William Nord said a red Acura RDX registered to Paporakis entered the temple’s parking lot at about 12.25 pm on Sunday and left less than 15 minutes later. Paporakis was subsequently seen alone in the vehicle near his home at around 2 pm, AP reported.

Eight-Page Manifesto Allegedly Detailed White Supremacist Views

Prosecutors said Paporakis sent his co-worker an eight-page document titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)”.

Authorities said the document contained racist language targeting non-white people and outlined an alleged plan to kill as many of them as possible.

It reportedly described non-white people as “subhumans” and expressed a desire to “sacrifice myself to take revenge on the world”.

Prosecutors also said Paporakis described himself as a “sociopathic white supremacist Neo Nazi”.

According to Reuters, detectives examined electronic communications and the document attributed to Paporakis, which contained white supremacist and extremist views, including references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly Indians.

A search of his residence uncovered an AR-style rifle without a serial number, multiple loaded rifle magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

Police also recovered a tactical vest containing body armour, a patch depicting Nazi symbolism and a gas canister labelled with a slur referring to South Asians, according to AP.

Paporakis’ mother was questioned by police but was not cooperating with the investigation, authorities said on Thursday.

Hindu Temple Tightens Security After Alleged Threat

Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple confirmed that it had been targeted by the threat and said it had introduced additional security measures.

Illinois Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who represents the state’s 8th congressional district, said he visited the temple on Sunday without knowing about the alleged plot. He subsequently increased his personal security and urged the FBI to investigate the case as a hate crime.

Aurora Mayor John Laesch said police were contacting other temples in the area to alert them to the threat and ensure they had contact numbers to report suspicious activity.

India Condemns Anti-Hindu and Racist Nature of Incident

India’s Ministry of External Affairs expressed deep concern over the alleged plot, calling its “anti-Hindu and racist nature” particularly disturbing. It urged US authorities to investigate the case, bring those responsible to justice and prevent similar incidents.

Court Orders Accused to Remain in Detention

Paporakis appeared in court on Wednesday and was ordered to remain in detention. His next hearing is scheduled for October 30, according to AP and Reuters.

His defence counsel urged the public not to treat the allegations as established facts, saying the case was at an early stage and remained under investigation.