Source: Cook County Sheriff’s Office
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Palatine police and the FBI arrested 19-year-old Alexandros Paporakis on October 11, 2026, after a coworker reported he had shared photos of himself in tactical gear alongside an AR-style rifle and expressed intent to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois. Surveillance footage confirms Paporakis drove to the temple and remained for 13 minutes before leaving; police say his rifle malfunctioned at the scene and he returned home, where officers arrested him.
ANALYSIS
A coworker of Paporakis called Mount Prospect police on October 11 after Paporakis sent photos through Signal showing himself in a tactical vest and body armor with an AR-style rifle, and expressed intent to carry out a mass shooting. Palatine police coordinated immediately with the FBI. Surveillance footage at a large Hindu temple in Aurora showed Paporakis's car entering the parking lot at 12:25 p.m. and exiting at 12:38 p.m. Police say the rifle malfunctioned and he returned home, where officers arrested him.
Searching the residence, investigators found the AR-style rifle, multiple loaded magazines, hundreds of additional rounds, a tactical vest with a white supremacist patch, and body armor. His electronic devices contained a manifesto in which Paporakis self-identified as a white supremacist and described hatred toward several non-white groups, including people of Indian descent. Palatine police said he had been planning the attack for some time and appeared to be acting alone. The arrest came during Navaratri, when large numbers of Hindu worshippers gather at temples for Garba.
Paporakis faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and possessing an unlawful weapon and is scheduled to appear in court on October 30. Palatine Police Chief Bill Nord said the department was "very fortunate that something much, much worse did not happen." Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, whose family was present at the Aurora temple during the incident, released a statement. The FBI continues to assist Palatine police with the investigation.
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