US police say colleague's tip foiled 19-year-old's plot to attack Hindu temple
A 19-year-old from Illinois has been charged with making a terrorist threat after allegedly trying to shoot at a Hindu temple in Aurora. Police say a co-worker alerted them to the plan.
Police in the US state of Illinois say a tip from a co-worker helped stop a planned mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago. The suspect, 19-year-old Alexandros Paporakis of Palatine, worked as a cashier at the fast-food chain Taco Bell. On Wednesday he appeared in court charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing a weapon.
How events unfolded
According to police, Paporakis drove his red Honda RDX into the temple's car park around lunchtime on Sunday. He allegedly tried to open fire, but the gun jammed, so he drove back to the home he shares with his mother.
US outlet NBC Chicago reports that he told a colleague by phone messages about the jam and about leaving the scene quickly. At home he reportedly searched online for ways to clear the weapon and called a colleague to say he intended to carry out a mass shooting. The co-worker passed the information to authorities.
Palatine police chief William Nord said these communications played a vital role in bringing the matter to law enforcement's attention. The suspect is believed to have acted alone.
What was found
Officers searching Paporakis' home found a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition and body armour. They also discovered an eight-page document containing extremist ideologies and details of the planned attack. According to CBS, he described himself in it as a "sociopathic white supremacist neo-Nazi". Police say the writings expressed hatred for non-white people. His mother was questioned and was described as unco-operative.
Reaction
The temple identified by local media as the target said it had introduced new security measures. India's Ministry of External Affairs said the incident adds to growing concerns over racist hostility and anti-India hate in the US. Illinois congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he was horrified, adding that he and his family worship at the temple and were there last Sunday. The Chicago area has one of the largest Indian-American populations in the US.
