India calls for US investigation into alleged Illinois Hindu temple attack plot
India’s foreign ministry urged a thorough investigation after an Illinois man was charged over an alleged plan to attack a Hindu place of worship near Aurora. Police have not confirmed a specific intended site.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs called on US authorities Thursday, October 15, to investigate an alleged mass-shooting plot against a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area of Illinois, raising concerns for the Indian community after a 19-year-old was charged. Police have not confirmed the specific intended location.
The ministry described the reported plot as anti-Hindu and racist, citing alleged references to violence against people of Indian origin. It said the case added to its concern about racist hostility and anti-India hate in the United States, and called for vigilance, zero tolerance for hate-motivated violence and measures to protect the Indian community.
The ministry said it expected US authorities to investigate thoroughly, bring those responsible to justice and take steps to prevent similar incidents. Its characterization concerns allegations that have not been proven in court.
What Illinois police say they found
Palatine police said their investigation began October 11 after Mount Prospect police passed on information about a possible mass shooting. A person had reported receiving concerning electronic messages from the accused, according to the police account reported by The Times of India and Al Jazeera.
Investigators found a document outlining an alleged shooting plan and images of a rifle, magazines, body armor and other tactical equipment, police said. Al Jazeera reported that a search also recovered a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds and a tactical vest bearing imagery associated with white-supremacist extremism.
Police attributed a document expressing white-supremacist and extremist views to the accused. It referenced violence against South Asians, particularly Indians. Authorities believed an attack might have been planned for October 11 and could have targeted a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area; the precise site remained under investigation.
Charges and next court date
Al Jazeera reported that Alexandros Paporakis faced felony charges of making a terrorist threat and possessing an unlawful weapon, and that the FBI was assisting the investigation. Hindustan Times reported that a judge ordered him held pending trial on October 14. He had not entered a plea, and his next court appearance was scheduled for October 30.
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Sources and context
- 'Growing concern over anti-India hate in US': MEA demands probe into Hindu temple attack plotThe Times of India
- Police arrest US teen in alleged Illinois Hindu temple mass shooting plotAl Jazeera; article credits Al Jazeera Staff and Reuters
- Alexandros Paporakis: Inside chilling manifesto of teen accused of plotting mass shooting at Hindu temple in AuroraHindustan Times
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.