Local, state leaders provide update following alleged attempted mass shooting at temple in Aurora
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 about two years plotting the attack, writing an eight-page manifesto describing Indians, Jews, and Black people as "subhuman" before 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 attacker.
- The Carnegie Endowment's 2026 survey found one in four Indian Americans reported being called a slur since 2025, while the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate documented anti-South Asian posts on X rising roughly 240 per cent between 2024 and 2026.
- 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" following the foiled attack.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Illinois Hindu Temple Attack Plot: Indian-origin US lawmakers condemn hate crime; Urge FBI probe & safety of community
WASHINGTON DC: US lawmakers Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick have urged the Justice Department and FBI to investigate into the mass shooting plot targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois. The lawmakers described the attack plot as a potential federal hate crime. The case has heightened concerns amid rising instances of anti-Indian and anti-Hindu hostility across the United States. Meanwhile, US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi revealed that he an…
Illinois Hindu temple planned attack: MEA calls on US to ensure safety, security of Indian nationals
India has voiced deep concern regarding a foiled mass shooting plot at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Illinois. A 19-year-old was arrested after allegedly planning this shooting, which failed due to a jammed gun. The Ministry of External Affairs emphasised the need for US authorities to ensure the safety of Indian nationals.
Reflects broader, troubling trends: US India Caucus co-chairs condemn alleged Hindu temple attack plot, demand probe as potential hate crime - The Tribune
Co-Chairs of the US India Caucus, Ro Khanna and Rich McCormick, on Friday (local time) condemned the attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, and urged the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to take action against what they described as growing threats and hostility directed at Hindu Americans and Indian Americans.
'Ordinary white kid' or 'neo-Nazi'? Court records offer new insight into alleged plot to attack Hindu temple
Weeks before his gun jammed outside a Hindu temple in Aurora, Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, etched his name at the bottom of a guardianship petition filed by a close family friend. At the same time, prosecutors say, the self-identified white supremacist’s rhetoric toward Indian people was growing both more frequent and vicious.
‘Ordinary white kid’ or ‘neo-Nazi’? Court records offer new insight into alleged plot to attack Hindu temple
On the surface, Alexandros Paporakis described himself as “an ordinary white kid going to college and working.” But beneath that facade, he wrote, was “a sociopathic white supremacist neo-Nazi,” according to prosecutors.
US lawmakers urge FBI to probe Illinois temple plot as federal hate crime
Washington, Oct 16 (PTI): US Congressional Caucus on India on Friday demanded that the FBI and the Department of Justice thoroughly investigate the alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois as a federal hate crim.
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