US teen arrested over alleged plot to attack Hindu temple near Chicago
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Washington: A suspected attack on a Hindu temple in Illinois was prevented after a 19-year-old man allegedly failed to fire his rifle and was arrested before he could return to the site, US authorities said.
Alexandros Paporakis was detained on Sunday following a warning from an associate who received a document outlining a purported mass shooting plan. Police in Palatine, near Chicago, launched an investigation after being alerted to the threat.
Court records cited by NBC Chicago indicate that Paporakis had travelled to a temple in Aurora, around 30 km west of Chicago, but his firearm reportedly malfunctioned. After returning home, he allegedly looked up ways to repair the rifle and discussed his intentions with a colleague, who contacted law enforcement.
A subsequent search of his residence yielded a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, body armour and tactical equipment. Investigators also recovered a document containing white supremacist views and references to violence against people of South Asian ancestry, particularly Indians.
Paporakis has been charged with making a terror threat and illegally possessing weapons. The allegations have yet to be established in court.
US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the reported targeting of Indian Americans, while the Indian Consulate in Chicago acknowledged the authorities’ intervention and said it was monitoring developments in coordination with the local Indian community.
The case has renewed concerns about threats driven by racial hatred and extremism in the United States.