A 19-year-old from Palatine, Illinois, is charged with making a terrorist threat after prosecutors say he planned a mass shooting of Indian people at a Hindu temple in Aurora, and that the only thing that stopped him was a rifle that jammed. Alexandros Paporakis was arrested Sunday after two of his coworkers at a Taco Bell called 911.
Police say they found an AR-style rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds, body armor and a patch with white supremacist imagery at his home, along with an eight-page manifesto in which he called himself a white supremacist and wrote about his hatred of Jewish people, Black people, Indians and other non-white people, CBS News Chicago reported. A judge ordered him held until trial.
What happened at the Hindu temple in Aurora?
According to prosecutors, Paporakis told a coworker Saturday that he was planning “it” at the largest Hindu temple in Aurora, and told another that Sunday “was going to be a special day.” Early Sunday afternoon he asked a coworker to call him, then said his gun had jammed and he’d “got out of there ‘super-fast,'” prosecutors said. He then sent messages showing the rifle failing to fire, a photo of himself in a tactical vest, and his manifesto, and said he planned to try again later. The two coworkers called 911.
Court records cited by NBC Chicago say he had about 300 rounds of ammunition, enough for 10 magazines, plus gasoline cans. Palatine police say the exact intended target hasn’t been confirmed and the investigation is open. Aurora police contacted Hindu places of worship in the area, and the FBI is involved.
What is Alexandros Paporakis charged with?
For now, two felonies: making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a weapon, for a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches. Police say they’re reviewing whether more charges are warranted. Court documents say he has mental health problems and had been off prescribed medication. His public defender said the statements from police and prosecutors are only allegations and could change. He’s due back in court Oct. 30, ABC7 Chicago reported.
The temple’s chairman told NBC Chicago it already has strong security and thanked police for stopping the threat.
The BeezLoop Take
Two Taco Bell workers may have saved dozens of lives. A coworker had been talking openly about Nazis and his hatred of Indian people, sent them a manifesto and a video of a gun that wouldn’t fire, and they picked up the phone. That’s what “see something, say something” looks like when it works.
It’s also a reminder of who’s being targeted. By the police’s account, this plot was aimed at people because of where their families came from. The charges so far are about threats and a weapon. If the evidence shows he went to that temple to kill people, the charges should say so.
The open question: will prosecutors add attempted murder or hate crime charges once the investigation into the temple trip is complete?
Sources: CBS News Chicago · NBC Chicago · ABC7 Chicago · CBS News Chicago (video)
