Palatine (Illinois) [US], October 15 (ANI): Police in Palatine Illinois working in coordination with the Mount Prospect Police Department, arrested a 19-year-old man following an investigation into threats involving a potential mass shooting at a Hindu Temple.
On October 11, the Palatine Police Department was contacted by the Mount Prospect Police Department regarding information it had received about a potential mass shooting. The information originated from an individual who reported receiving concerning electronic communications from Alexandros Paporakis.
According to investigators, Paporakis had shared a document outlining an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting at the Hindu Temple. He also shared images depicting a rifle, rifle magazines, body armor, and other tactical equipment and accessories.
Paporakis was located and taken into custody as he was leaving his residence. As part of the subsequent investigation, Palatine Police detectives executed a search warrant at Paporakis' residence. During the search, investigators recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines, hundreds of rounds of additional rifle ammunition, tactical equipment, and other items believed to be relevant to the investigation. Among the recovered items was a tactical vest containing body armor and a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism.
FBI detectives examined electronic communications and a self-titled document attributed to Paporakis, “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto),” which contained statements expressing white supremacist and extremist ideologies, including references to violence directed toward individuals of South Asian heritage, particularly those of Indian descent.
Detectives believe Paporakis may have been planning to carry out an attack on October 11, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area. Police subsequently coordinated outreach to Hindu places of worship in their jurisdiction to make them aware of the information.
Paporakis was charged with, one count of Making a Terrorist Threat, a Class X felony and one count of Unlawful Possession of Weapons. Paporakis appeared for a detention hearing on Wednesday where a judge ordered him detained.
"The seriousness of this alleged threat cannot be overstated. Through the immediate sharing of information and coordinated response by the Palatine and Mount Prospect Police Departments, officers were able to identify and take the suspect into custody. We are grateful for the FBI’s assistance in the subsequent investigation and commend the individual who initially came forward with this information. Protecting our communities and places of worship remains a priority, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners as this investigation moves forward," said Palatine Police Chief William Nord.
“The FBI aggressively works alongside our local and state law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle any threats of violence driven by radical ideologies,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Ryan Whalen.
“Thanks to the swift action by the Palatine and Mount Prospect Police Departments, the subject was taken into custody without harm to our community. The FBI values these strong partnerships and will continue to use every law enforcement and prosecutorial resource available to bring any offender using fear or violence to justice," he added. (ANI)
