A man arrested in a Chicago suburb had shared a document expressing white supremacist views and outlined an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship, police said on Wednesday. Alexandros Paporakis, 19, was arrested on Sunday after an individual reported receiving concerning electronic communications from him, Palatine police said. It was not immediately clear if he had legal representation.
Detectives had executed a search warrant at Paporakis’ residence and recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines and hundreds of rounds of additional rifle ammunition, police said. Detectives examined electronic communications and a document attributed to Paporakis – “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)” – which had statements expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including references to violence directed toward individuals of South Asian heritage, 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 disturbing”.
The statement comes days before US secretary of state Marco Rubio’s visit to India, and as long-running efforts to finalize a bilateral trade agreement between the countries have stalled again. Detectives believe Paporakis may have been planning to carry out an attack on 11 October, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship in Aurora. Police said after consultation with prosecutors from the Cook county state’s attorney’s office, Paporakis faced felony charges of “making a terrorist threat” and unlawful weapon possession.
The suspect appeared for a detention hearing on Wednesday where a judge ordered him detained, according to police, who said his next court appearance is scheduled for 30 October. Human rights advocates have said that hate against South Asians has spiked in the US in recent years due to factors such as rising anti-immigration rhetoric and policies as well as a rise in white supremacist ideology.
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