A congressman from Illinois said he was at his Hindu temple in the Chicago suburbs when a man tried to carry out a mass shooting on Oct. 11.
"My family and I were worshipping at our Hindu temple in Aurora on Sunday when a white supremacist attempted a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans," Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, wrote in an Oct. 15 social media post. "I'm grateful to those who helped prevent a tragedy, but we must come together to confront the hatred that put so many innocent lives at risk."
My family and I were worshipping at our Hindu temple in Aurora on Sunday when a white supremacist attempted a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans. I'm grateful to those who helped prevent a tragedy, but we must come together to confront
the hatred that put so many innocent… pic.twitter.com/DM2mUenrh3
— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) October 15, 2026
Officers from the Palatine and Mount Prospect police departments arrested a 19-year-old man identified as Alexandros Paporakis on Oct. 11 as he was leaving his residence, following an investigation into threats involving a potential mass shooting, according to a press release provided to USA TODAY by the Palatine Police Department.
An individual contacted the Mount Prospect department about "concerning electronic communications" from Paporakis, according to the release, and in a subsequent investigation, detectives recovered a rifle, multiple loaded rifle magazines and hundreds of rounds of addition rifle ammunition. They additionally found a document, attributed to Paporakis, titled, "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," according to the press release.
Officers believe the 19-year-old was targeting a Hindu place of worship in Aurora, but the specific intended location has not yet been confirmed.
"Among the recovered items was a tactical vest containing body armor and a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism," Palatine Police Department Deputy Chief David Brandwein wrote.
The FBI's Chicago Field Office assisted the local departments following the arrest. A judge ordered Paporakis to remain detained, and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office charged him with a felony count for making a terrorist threat and another felony count for unlawful possession of weapons.
“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 in the release.
No information provided to USA TODAY nor posted by the congressman suggest that he was individually targeted.
Bipartisan condemnation followed the congressman's post
Krishnamoorthi represents a district just northwest of downtown Chicago that includes O'Hare International Airport. He is the top Democrat on the House of Representatives' Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party and for a separate subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services.
Colleagues from both sides of the aisle condemned the alleged attempted violence in social media posts, following his announcement. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Illinois, said in a post on X that he is "deeply disturbed" by the attempt and that he is grateful his Democratic colleague, his family and others are safe.
"A place of worship should be a sacred and safe place where families can gather and practice their faith without fear," LaHood wrote.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-California, wrote on Oct. 15 that, "as a Hindu American, I am angered by the attempted mass shooting at a Temple by a white supremacist. The shooter's evil is only surpassed by his ignorance. Hinduism teaches non-violence."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Illinois congressman says he was at Hindu temple during attempted shooting
