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Surrounded by 4 cops, cuffed on the ground: Video shows arrest of US teen accused of plotting Hindu temple shooting
Alexandros Paporakis was arrested on Sunday after police received a report about disturbing messages about a mass shooting sent by him.
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A 19-year-old man has been arrested in the US state of Illinois over an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting in a Hindu temple. A video of his arrest is now circulating online.
Alexandros Paporakis, was arrested in Palatine, a suburb of Chicago, on Sunday. The footage shows four police officers surrounding him as he sits on the road, handcuffing him with his hands behind his back before taking him away.
Police said the suspect's co-workers alerted authorities after receiving disturbing messages outlining an alleged shooting plan. They believe Paporakis may have been planning an attack on a Hindu temple in Aurora, about 65 km southwest of Palatine.
Deep Dive
How police uncovered the alleged plot
Paporakis's co-workers at Taco Bell received disturbing messages from him, including a document detailing an alleged plan for a mass shooting and photographs of tactical equipment, according to prosecutors cited by AP.
ALSO READ | Who is Alexandros Paporakis? Teen accused of plotting mass shooting at Hindu place of worship in Aurora
The co-workers told investigators that Paporakis openly identified as a white supremacist at work and allegedly expressed a desire to kill Indian people. He had also reportedly told them that Sunday would be “a special day”.
Prosecutors said Paporakis called one of his co-workers earlier that day and claimed that his gun had jammed. He allegedly said he had left the location quickly without being seen.
The information prompted the Palatine and Mount Prospect police departments to coordinate efforts to locate and arrest him. Police said officers took him into custody as he was leaving his home on Sunday afternoon.
Alleged manifesto expressed hatred towards Indians
Investigators examined an eight-page document allegedly written by Paporakis and titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter's Manifesto)”.
According to prosecutors, the document contained white supremacist and neo-Nazi views and described Indian, Jewish and African American people as “subhumans”. It also allegedly outlined a plan to kill as many people from these communities as possible, AP reported.
Paporakis reportedly described himself in the document as a white supremacist who fantasised about mass murder.
Weapons recovered from suspect's home
During a search of Paporakis's residence, detectives recovered an AR-style rifle without a serial number, loaded magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, police and prosecutors said.
Authorities also found a tactical vest containing body armour, a patch displaying imagery associated with white supremacist extremism, a gas canister bearing a slur directed at South Asians and items displaying Nazi symbolism.
ALSO READ | How US teen’s Hindu temple attack plot was foiled: Rifle jam, online search, call to co-worker
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is assisting local police with the investigation.
Palatine Police chief William Nord described the alleged threat as serious and said protecting places of worship remained a priority for law enforcement.
India expresses concern over alleged anti-Hindu plot
The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Thursday expressed concern over the alleged plan, describing its reported anti-Hindu and racist nature as particularly disturbing.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had taken note of the action by US authorities, including the suspect's arrest and detention and the charges brought against him.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting targeting a Hindu temple in the Aurora area of Illinois. The reported anti-Hindu and racist nature of the alleged plot, including references to violence against people of Indian origin, is particularly disturbing,” said MEA on Thursday. “We have taken note of the action taken by US law enforcement authorities, including the arrest and detention of the suspect and the charges brought against him,” Jaiswal said.
ALSO READ | 'Racist hostility', 'anti-India hate': India on 'attempted mass shooting' targeting Hindu temple in US
Suspect to remain in custody
Paporakis faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing weapons. A judge ordered him to remain in custody following a detention hearing on Wednesday.
His next court appearance is scheduled for October 30.
