PALATINE, Illinois, October 15 (ANI) — Police in Palatine, Illinois, working with the Mount Prospect Police Department, arrested a 19-year-old man following an investigation into threats involving a potential mass shooting at a Hindu temple.
On October 11, the Palatine Police Department was contacted by the Mount Prospect Police Department regarding information it had received about a potential mass shooting. The information originated from an individual who reported receiving concerning electronic communications from Alexandros Paporakis.
According to investigators, Paporakis had shared a document outlining an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting at the Hindu temple. He also shared images depicting a rifle, rifle magazines, body armor and other tactical equipment and accessories.
Paporakis was located and taken into custody as he was leaving his residence. During the subsequent investigation, Palatine police detectives executed a search warrant at his home. Investigators recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines, hundreds of additional rounds of rifle ammunition, tactical equipment and other items believed to be relevant to the investigation.
Among the recovered items was a tactical vest containing body armor and a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism.
FBI investigators examined electronic communications and a document attributed to Paporakis titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto).” The document contained statements expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian descent.
Detectives believe Paporakis may have been planning an attack on October 11, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area. Police subsequently coordinated outreach to Hindu places of worship in their jurisdiction to alert them to the information.
Paporakis was charged with one count of making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of weapons. He appeared at a detention hearing Wednesday, where a judge ordered him detained.
“The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated. Through the immediate sharing of information and coordinated response by the Palatine and Mount Prospect Police Departments, officers were able to identify and take the suspect into custody. We are grateful for the FBI’s assistance in the subsequent investigation and commend the individual who initially came forward with this information. Protecting our communities and places of worship remains a priority, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners as this investigation moves forward,” Palatine Police Chief William Nord said.
“The FBI aggressively works alongside our local and state law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle any threats of violence driven by radical ideologies,” said Ryan Whalen, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Chicago field office.
“Thanks to the swift action by the Palatine and Mount Prospect Police Departments, the subject was taken into custody without harm to our community. The FBI values these strong partnerships and will continue to use every law enforcement and prosecutorial resource available to bring any offender using fear or violence to justice,” he added. (ANI)
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