Cart
0
A Jammed Rifle Foiled an Alleged Temple Massacre. Then the Suspect Made a Mistake.
A 19-year-old accused of planning a mass shooting at an Illinois Hindu temple allegedly fled after his rifle malfunctioned, then told a co-worker what happened. That message helped police uncover a plot authorities say targeted Indian Americans.
Alexandros Paporakis ( Palatine Police )
A rifle jammed. The suspect allegedly ran. Then he made a decision that may have helped investigators stop him before he could try again.
Prosecutors say Alexandros Paporakis, 19, traveled to the Aurora area of Illinois on Sunday, October 11, allegedly intending to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu place of worship. His plan reportedly stalled when his AR-style rifle malfunctioned. But rather than abandon the alleged plot, he allegedly searched online for ways to fix the weapon and contacted a co-worker about what had happened. That communication helped bring the case to police.
Gear Spotlight- What Our Readers Are Picking Up
Paporakis, who worked at a Taco Bell in the Chicago suburbs, was arrested later that day in Palatine, about 40 miles from downtown Chicago. Investigators believe the intended target was Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple, one of the region’s major Hindu worship centers. Authorities said the precise intended location remains under investigation.
According to prosecutors, Paporakis had told colleagues he could not wait to kill Indian people and described that Sunday as a “special day.” After the rifle jammed, he allegedly messaged a co-worker that the person he had encountered was “certainly saved by his God today” and said he intended to try again once he fixed the weapon, according to court reporting by WBEZ Chicago.
The messages reportedly included an eight-page document titled Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto). Prosecutors say it contained white-supremacist and neo-Nazi ideology, racist slurs, and a plan to kill non-white people, including Indians, Jewish people and African Americans.
A search of the suspect’s residence uncovered an AR-style rifle without a serial number, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, tactical equipment, and items bearing Nazi symbolism, authorities said. The FBI is assisting with the investigation.
The alleged plot has unsettled the temple’s congregation. Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said he and his family had been at the temple that Sunday to observe Navaratri. He later called for a federal hate-crime investigation and stronger protection for religious institutions, according to the Washington post.
Paporakis faces felony charges including making a terrorist threat and unlawful firearm possession. A judge ordered him held pending further proceedings, and his next court appearance is scheduled for October 30. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The case turns on a chilling contradiction: investigators say the alleged plan was not abandoned after the weapon failed. Instead, the suspect’s own communications reportedly exposed his intentions. A malfunctioning rifle may have interrupted the immediate threat, but it was a co-worker who alerted authorities and helped prevent a potential second attempt.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on court allegations and reporting by the Associated Press, WBEZ Chicago and The Washington Post. Paporakis has been charged, not convicted. Authorities have said the exact intended target remains under investigation.
