Illinois man arrested for alleged plot to attack Hindu house of worship, police say | Illinois

A man arrested in a Chicago suburb shared a document expressing white supremacist views and describing an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting, potentially targeting a Hindu house of worship, police said Wednesday.

Alexandros Paporakis, 19, was arrested Sunday after an individual reported receiving disturbing electronic communications from him, Palatine police said. It was not immediately clear whether he had legal representation.

Detectives executed a search warrant at Paporakis’ home and recovered a rifle, several loaded rifle magazines and hundreds of additional rounds of ammunition, police said.

“Among the items recovered was a tactical vest containing body armor and a patch displaying images associated with white supremacist extremism,” Palatine police added.

Detectives examined “electronic communications and a document attributed” to Paporakis — “Why I Fought: AKA: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)” — that contained statements expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including “references to violence directed against individuals of South Asian descent, particularly those of Indian descent.”

India’s foreign ministry said it was “deeply concerned” by the incident, and its “anti-Hindu and racist nature” was “particularly worrying”.

“We expect US authorities to thoroughly investigate this matter, bring those responsible to justice and take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents,” he said in a statement.

The statement comes days before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India, and as long-standing efforts to finalize a bilateral trade deal between the two countries have once again stalled.

Detectives believe Paporakis may have been planning to carry out an attack on Oct. 11, potentially targeting a Hindu house of worship in Aurora.

“However, the precise intended location has not been confirmed and remains under investigation,” police said, adding that the FBI is assisting in the investigation.

Police said that after consulting with prosecutors from the Cook County District Attorney’s Office, Paporakis faces criminal charges of “terrorist threatening” and illegal possession of weapons.

The suspect appeared Wednesday for a detention hearing, during which a judge ordered him detained, according to police, who said his next court appearance was scheduled for Oct. 30.

Human rights advocates have said hatred against South Asians has increased in the United States in recent years due to factors including rising anti-immigration rhetoric and policies as well as the rise of white supremacist ideology.