India on Friday called on the United States to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals after authorities foiled an alleged mass-shooting plot at a Hindu temple in Illinois.
Investigators said the suspect, a teenager, expressed violent “anti-Indian and white supremacist” views.
Teen arrested in Illinois
Police launched an investigation after his co-workers alerted them to disturbing text messages. A search of his residence led to the recovery of a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a tactical vest containing body armour. Police also recovered a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism.
Nineteen-year-old Alexandros Paporakis was arrested in Palatine, a suburb of Chicago, on October 11 over an alleged plot to attack a Hindu temple.
Investigators recovered a document attributed to Paporakis titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)”. The document contained white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian origin, according to police. In the manifesto, Paporakis described himself as “a sociopathic white supremacist Neo Nazi filled with hatred, fantasising about mass murder nearly every day”, according to court records cited by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The investigation remains ongoing The teenager has been charged with making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and illegal possession of weapons. He was ordered to remain in custody following a court hearing and is due to appear in court again on October 30.
Authorities have said that, based on their investigation so far, Paporakis appeared to have been acting alone.
