Couldn't wait to kill Indians: How US Hindu temple massacre plot was foiled

Alexandros Paporakis, a cashier at Taco Bell, targeted the Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple in Chicago. Investigators said he intended to kill a 'significant number of Indians'. However, the massacre plot got foiled at the last minute. Here's how.

In Short

• 19-year-old teen planned attack on Chicago's largest Hindu temple
• Malfunctioning rifle and Taco Bell co-worker's call prevented massacre
• Police found ammo, Nazi symbols and a hateful manifesto

On October 11, a 19-year-old teen drove to the largest Hindu temple in Chicago intending to kill a "significant number of Indians". However, a malfunctioning rifle and his co-worker's timely call to the police prevented a potential massacre as Indian-Americans were gearing up to celebrate the first day of Navratri. While Alexandros Paporakis, a cashier at Taco Bell, was swiftly arrested that same day, the incident has laid bare an unseen danger - the gradual rise of violent white-supremacist ideology.

Paporakis targeted the Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple, according to a report in The Washington Post. On Sundays, the temple attracts thousands of devotees (estimated to be above 3,000). With Navratri celebrations kicking off last week, it is expected that the footfall was higher on October 11. It is not known if Paporakis specifically chose the date to inflict a massive carnage.

The incident has rekindled memories of the July 2025 shooting at the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Utah. Over two dozen bullets were fired at the temple, leading to severe damage, in a case of suspected hate crime. However, no one was injured.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT US TEEN'S PLOT TO KILL INDIANS?

What we know from court filings and statements by his co-workers, that Paporakis openly identified himself as a white supremacist at work. He even told his Taco Bell co-workers that he "couldn't wait to kill Indian people" and Sunday was going to be "a special day", according to prosecutors. His co-workers, understandably, didn't take him seriously.

After all, Paporakis is just 19. His appearance makes him look much younger.

But on October 11, the baby-faced teen was dressed for war. Armed with a modified AR-style rifle, Paporakis drove to the sprawling temple from his mother's home in Palatine, a distance of 40 miles, according to a report in NBC. His goal was to inflict mass casualties. However, fate had different plans.

When Paporakis pressed the trigger, the weapon refused to fire - it jammed, according to court records.

However, Paporakis didn't abandon his plan. He drove back to his mother's home and searched the internet for instructions on how to unjam the rifle. He also called a colleague and informed him of his intent to carry out a mass shooting.

After the call, the 19-year-old texted the co-worker on Signal. He sent pictures of the rifle and messeged him how the gun failed to fire when he pulled the trigger. He also sent a photo of himself in a tactical vest.

That call and the subsequent texts proved to be crucial.

Reports said the co-worker alerted the police. Police eventually arrested Paporakis before he could return to the temple.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT ALEXANDROS PAPORAKIS?

A search at his residence by investigators revealed a chilling picture of preparation and an insight into his radical views.

Investigators found 300 rounds of ammunition - enough to fill 10 magazines - along with body armour, a gas canister labelled with a slur against South Asians, several items bearing Nazi symbolism and swastikas.

A manifesto, in which he referred to himself as the 'Aurora Shooter', was also recovered from his residence.

The writings reflect Paporakis's hatred towards Indians, Jewish people, African Americans and other non-white communities. In the manifesto, he described himself as a "white supremacist Neo-Nazi" and wrote about fantasising about mass murders every day.

The findings reveal a disturbing picture of a young man driven by racial hatred towards not just Indians, but non-white people as a whole.

Court documents reveal that Paporakis suffered from mental and emotional health issues, as per US media reports.

The incident has renewed concerns about threats against Hindu religious institutions and the safety of Indian-Americans in the US amid a rise in hate crimes under the Donald Trump administration.

According to the Hindu American Foundation, in the past four years there have been well over 20 incidents of vandalism at Hindu temples in the United States, with mandirs in California and New York being the most targeted.

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