Illinois 19-Year-Old Charged Over Alleged Plot to Attack Aurora Hindu Temple; Rifle and Manifesto Seized

PALATINE, Illinois — Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine was arrested outside his home on Sunday, October 11, after Mount Prospect police passed Palatine police a tip from a person who had received concerning electronic communications from him about a possible mass shooting, Palatine police said. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office charged him with one count of making a terrorist threat and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon, involving a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, both felonies. A judge ordered him held without bond. The accounts from police and prosecutors are allegations, and his public defender has said they may change as the investigation proceeds.

Police said a search of his home in the 1300 block of North Baldwin Court recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines, hundreds of additional rounds of rifle ammunition, tactical equipment and a tactical vest containing body armor and a patch with imagery associated with white supremacist extremism. With FBI assistance, police examined his electronics and found a manifesto in which, they said, he identified as a white supremacist. According to a court document obtained by the Associated Press, the eight-page document, titled "Why I fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter's Manifesto)," expressed hatred toward Indian, Jewish and African American people and outlined a plot to kill as many of them as possible.

Prosecutors said co-workers at the Taco Bell where Paporakis worked received the document and photos of tactical gear, and that a co-worker reported a call on Sunday in which Paporakis said his gun had jammed and he had left quickly without being seen. Investigators believe he may have planned to target the largest Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, though the exact intended location remains under investigation. No one was injured. "The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated," Palatine Police Chief William Nord said, adding that protecting places of worship is a law enforcement priority. The investigation remains active.

Sources: Palatine Police Department; Cook County State's Attorney's Office; Associated Press and CNN, October 15

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 维基共享资源 · Public domain · Aurora 的印度教寺庙

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