ABC 7: South Asian leaders call for action after alleged mass shooting plot targeting Aurora Hindu temple

By Maher Kawash, Eric Horng, Lissette Nuñez | Thursday, October 15, 2026 10:40PM

PALATINE, Ill. (WLS) -- Palatine police released more details Thursday about a man accused of planning a mass shooting.

A 19-year-old suspect is facing terrorism charges after authorities uncovered a planned attack targeting the Balaji Temple in Aurora.

Officials at Balaji Temple confirmed Thursday it was their location targeted Sunday, on the first day of an important Hindu festival.

Members of the Chicago-area South Asian community are calling for greater acknowledgment of and action against hate after the arrest of a Palatine man accused of plotting a mass shooting at the Hindu temple.

Police said a coworker at a Taco Bell alerted Mount Prospect police after 19-year-old Alexandros Paporakis of Palatine allegedly told him about a threat he was planning against the large Hindu temple on Oct. 11.

Authorities said investigators determined Paporakis entered the temple parking lot he had been targeting on that date before returning to Palatine.

"He entered the parking lot at approximately 12:25 p.m. and exited the parking lot at 12:38 p.m. ... the offenders vehicle was then captured returning to palatine shortly before 2pm along Rand road near the offenders residence," Palatine Police Chief Bill Nord said.

Investigators later arrested Paporakis at his Palatine home and said they recovered an AR-style rifle with no serial number, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a tactical vest, a gas can and items depicting Nazi symbolism.

Police said they also found an eight-page manifesto detailing an attack Paporakis had allegedly been planning for the past two years. Authorities said the document revealed disdain for South Asians and other ethnic groups.

Law enforcement officials said they continue to review evidence from electronic devices but do not believe there is any further threat at this time.

"He has been alone in this plan he did reveal some details in the manifesto that he's been planning this for some time .. we're still trying to determine why the October 11th date was significant to him," Nord said.

The case has prompted increased police and security presence at places of worship across the suburbs.

At Balaji Temple, worshippers said they are determined not to let the incident overshadow a season of spiritual celebration and community.

"There is this increased resolve that we should come back together as a community, and the best way to fight such hate would be to serve the community even better," said Balaji Ganesh, who worships at the temple and is the Chicago Regional Director of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, a Hindu volunteer organization.

Anurathi Madasi echoed that message.

"We need to stay strong, and we need to celebrate our culture even if there are people in this world that don't think that we should," said Madasi, whose family worships at Balaji Temple.

At a news conference in Chicago's Loop, faith leaders, civil rights advocates and political leaders called for action beyond public statements. Among their requests was the restoration of federal funding for programs aimed at reducing hate crimes.

"We should not have to wait until our temples become massacre sites before this country takes anti-Hindu hatred, anti-Indian racism, and white surpremacist violence seriously," said Rishab Chatty of Hindus for Human Rights.

Speakers at the news conference cited a 2025 survey by Stop AAPI Hate that found nearly half of South Asian adults in the United States experienced a hateful act because of their race, including violence, harassment and discrimination. According to the survey, 53% of those respondents reported negative mental or physical health effects.

Litcy Kurisinkal, a board member of the Indian American Democratic Organization, said hate crimes are often not fully recognized for their severity.

"When hate crimes are labeled as vandalism or property crimes or low level misdemeanors, we are not accounting to the intensity of hate crimes that's happening in our country," Kurisinkal said.

Aurora Mayor John Laesch said the city's police department has increased patrols at houses of worship following the alleged threat. He also said community groups are helping respond to concerns.

"And I've been reaching out to community watchers. The Illinois Sikh community has been part of that and is very active in the city of Aurora to make sure that there's a community response, not just a police response," Laesch said.

Participants at the news conference said incidents targeting the Asian community often go unreported and called for policy changes to better address the problem.