Taco Bell worker's plot to shoot Hindu temple near Chicago foiled by tip-off
A 19-year-old from Illinois allegedly attempted a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora before his gun jammed. A colleague's tip-off led to his arrest.
Gun jammed before attack on Aurora Hindu temple, suspect arrested after colleague raised alarm
A Taco Bell cashier's alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple near Chicago was stopped after a co-worker alerted authorities, bbc.co.uk reports. Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, Illinois, appeared in court on Wednesday facing one count of making a terrorist threat and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon.
Palatine police chief William Nord said officers were first notified on Sunday after someone received "concerning electronic communications" from Paporakis and passed them on to law enforcement. "These communications played a vital role in bringing this matter to the attention of law enforcement," Nord said.
According to CBS, the BBC's US partner, prosecutors said the tipster had worked alongside Paporakis. Nord confirmed that a red Honda RDX registered to the suspect entered the car park of a "known Hindu temple" in the suburb of Aurora at Sunday lunchtime.
Paporakis allegedly attempted to open fire, but his gun jammed. He then drove home, where he lived with his mother. NBC Chicago reported that he sent phone messages to his colleague saying the gun had jammed and that he had left "super-fast". Once home, he searched online for how to clear a jammed firearm and contacted the same colleague to reiterate his intention to carry out the attack, NBC Chicago reported.
Police searched the property and recovered a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition and body armour. Officers also found an eight-page document containing what Nord described as "extremist ideologies" and detailed plans for the attack. Police said Paporakis had identified himself in writings as a white supremacist with expressed hatred towards non-white people. CBS reported he described himself as a "sociopathic white supremacist neo-Nazi" in those documents.
Investigators believe he acted alone. His mother, who was present at the property, was questioned but described as unco-operative.
The Hindu temple identified by local media as the intended target said it had since introduced new security measures. US congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois said he was "horrified" by the incident, adding in a Facebook statement that he and his family worship at that temple and were present there the previous Sunday.
India's Ministry of External Affairs said the incident "adds to growing concerns over racist hostility and anti-India hate in the US". The Chicago metropolitan area is home to one of the largest Indian-American communities in the country.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)