An Illinois teen has been charged over an alleged plan for a mass shooting that investigators believe may have targeted a Hindu temple in the Aurora area, officials say.
Palatine Police Chief William Nord said the department was contacted by the Mount Prospect Police Department shortly after 3:30 p.m. Sunday about a potential mass shooting. The call followed a report from a person who had received concerning messages from Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine.
Paporakis was arrested Sunday after police learned he had allegedly shared a document outlining a shooting plan, along with images of a rifle, ammunition magazines, body armor and other tactical equipment.
Officers located Paporakis as he was leaving his residence in Palatine and took him into custody. A subsequent search of his home uncovered a rifle, multiple loaded magazines, hundreds of additional rounds of ammunition and tactical equipment, according to police.
Investigators also recovered a tactical vest containing body armor and a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism.
With assistance from the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, detectives examined electronic communications and a document titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto).”
Police said the document contained white supremacist and extremist statements, including references to violence against people of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian descent.
Investigators believe Paporakis may have been preparing to carry out an attack that Sunday. However, police have not confirmed the specific location he allegedly intended to target, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Prosecutors also described allegations involving Paporakis’ communications with coworkers at a Taco Bell in Arlington Heights. One coworker reportedly told investigators that Paporakis had expressed racist views and discussed violence against Indian people.
The Aurora Police Department was notified of the potential threat and contacted Hindu places of worship in its jurisdiction to alert them, according to Palatine police.
Paporakis faces one count of making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon involving a rifle with a barrel shorter than 16 inches, a Class 3 felony.
A Cook County judge ordered him detained following a hearing Wednesday in Rolling Meadows. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 30.