Community Leaders: Foiled Illinois Attack Spurred by Anti-Hindu Hate
Lawmakers say the foiled attack reflects rising anti-South Asian hostility online, and they want federal investigators to examine possible hate-crime motives.
- On Sunday, 19-year-old Alexandros Paporakis attempted a mass shooting at the Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple in Aurora, Illinois, but his semiautomatic rifle jammed, prompting a co-worker to call 911.
- Prosecutors state Paporakis spent two years plotting the attack, writing an eight-page manifesto describing Indians, Jews, and Black people as "subhuman" and telling a co-worker he "could not wait to kill Indians."
- Co-Chairs of the House India Caucus, Congressmen Rich McCormick and Ro Khanna, urged Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate the plot as a federal hate crime and determine if others assisted.
- The Carnegie Endowment's 2026 survey found one in four Indian Americans reported being called a slur since 2025, while anti-South Asian posts on X rose roughly 240 per cent between 2024 and 2026.
- Leaders including U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi called for greater accountability for social media companies shielded by the Communications Decency Act of 1996, stating "every American deserves to worship without fear.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Failed attack on Illinois temple spotlights anti‑Hindu hate in US
Lawmakers are calling for a failed attack on the Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Aurora, Illinois, to be investigated as a hate crime. On October 11, 2026, as hundreds of Hindu worshippers gathered for the first day of Navaratri, a celebrationover nine nights of the divine feminine, a 19-year-old man traveled to the Hindu temple, […]
Probe Hindu temple attack as hate crime, US lawmakers tell FBI chief Kash Patel
Over 100 US lawmakers, led by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, have written to FBI Director Kash Patel demanding an investigation into an attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois as a federal hate crime. They also sought answers on measures to address online threats targeting Indian-Americans, criticising the Trump administration's past messaging for legitimising racial stereotypes.
105 Members of US Congress Urge FBI to Investigate Illinois Hindu Temple Shooting Plot as Potential Hate Crime
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The lawmakers are seeking information on whether the FBI is examining potential racial, ethnic, and religious bias in the Aurora case, World News | 105 Members of US Congress Urge FBI to Investigate Illinois Hindu Temple Shooting Plot as Potential Hate Crime.
More than 100 US lawmakers have written a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel following the attempted shooting by a 19-year-old gunman at the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Aurora, Illinois. They have demanded that the incident be investigated as a federal hate crime.
105 US lawmakers urge FBI to probe Illinois temple plot as hate crime
Washington: Over 100 US lawmakers shot off a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate the attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois as a federal hate crime and also demanded answers on steps taken to address online threats targeting Indian-Americans. The letter from the lawmakers, led by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, came … Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top S…
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