A transgender 19-year-old who authorities say identified himself as a neo-Nazi allegedly plotted a mass shooting at a Hindu temple outside Chicago, but a tip from a coworker helped authorities thwart the attack, according to police.
Alexandros Paporakis, of Palatine, was arrested on Sunday after allegedly plotting to open fire at a Hindu temple in Aurora, a suburb of Chicago, Palatine Police said at a news conference on Thursday.
Paporakis faces one felony count of making a terrorist threat and one felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon.
A Cook County judge has ordered Paporakis held without bond and has put a jailhouse healthcare order into place, saying that the teenager receives hormone injections for gender transition and is being treated for ADHD, depression and anxiety, according to NBC Chicago.
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Prosecutors allege Paporakis drove to the Hindu temple in Aurora armed with a modified rifle and about 300 rounds of ammunition and equipped with body armor and other tactical gear. Authorities said Paporakis intended to carry out a shooting, but returned home after the rifle malfunctioned.
After making it home, the suspect searched the internet trying to learn how to unjam the gun and allegedly called a colleague informing them of the intent to carry out a mass shooting, according to police.
Paporakis’ coworkers at Taco Bell reported to Mount Prospect Police that they had received a suspicious message that day from Paporakis, leading police to obtain a search warrant and detain Paporakis before the suspect could return to the scene to carry out the alleged attack.
Authorities praised those who reported the threat and encouraged others who come across something suspicious to report it to law enforcement.
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“I want to praise and offer my personal, sincerest thanks to the individual who stepped forward in many successful disruptions by law enforcement and potential acts of violence or terrorism attacks. It is a single, courageous member of the public who comes forward to prevent attacks,” FBI Chicago Field Office acting special agent in charge Lucas Rothaar said at a press conference on Thursday.
Police said they identified a red Acura registered to Paporakis after receiving the tip. Surveillance video showed the suspect in the vehicle entering the parking lot at the Hindu temple at 12:25 p.m. before exiting a few minutes later.
Paporakis was later observed driving to a residence on Rand Road in Palatine shared with the suspect’s mother. Police executed a search warrant and found a rifle, a loaded magazine, hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition and other tactical gear in Paporakis’ possession.
Police also found what they described as an eight-page manifesto, which authorities said detailed the alleged attack and Paporakis’ white supremacist views.
The writings “expressed words of hate, violence, superior race and mass shooting of Indian people. [Paporakis’] hatred was against Jewish people, African-Americans, Indians, and ‘non-white’ people,” according to police. Paporakis described them as “subhumans” and planned to kill as many of them as possible.
Police said the suspect “expressed pleasure calling himself a sociopathic white supremacist Neo-Nazi filled with hatred, fantasizing about mass murder nearly every day.”
The manifesto also referred to Paporakis as the “Aurora Shooter.”
A judge ruled that Paporakis will remain in jail, with the next court appearance scheduled for Oct. 30.
The temple said it was aware of the recent security threat and has boosted security.
“Please know that the safety of our devotees, employees and volunteers is our highest priority, and we have implemented additional security measures effective immediately, including increased armed security presence at the Temple and are taking additional steps to ensure an ongoing safe environment for everyone at the Temple,” the temple said in a message on its website.