PolicyForeign affairs
India 'deeply concerned' over alleged plot to shoot worshippers at Hindu temple near Chicago
The MEA said the case adds to growing concern over racist hostility and anti-India hate in the US, and asked American authorities to bring those responsible to justice.
Key points
- The MEA said it was deeply concerned by an alleged plan for a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois.
- A 19-year-old, Alexandros Paporakis, has been charged with making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony.
- Police say a document linked to him referred to violence against people of Indian descent.
India said it was “deeply concerned” by an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in the United States, and called on American authorities to deal firmly with what it described as rising racist hostility towards Indians.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting targeting a Hindu temple,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, responding to media questions. “This incident adds to growing concerns over racist hostility and anti-India hate in the US.”
He said the anti-Hindu and racist nature of the plot, including its references to violence against people of Indian origin, was particularly disturbing. India had taken note of the arrest and the charges, he said, and wanted a thorough investigation and steps to stop such incidents. “There is a need for greater vigilance, zero tolerance for hate-motivated violence,” Jaiswal said. “We expect US authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter, bring those responsible to justice.”
What police in Illinois say
The accused is Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, Illinois. Palatine police say their investigation began on 11 October, after the Mount Prospect police department passed on information about a possible mass shooting. That information came from a person who had received worrying electronic messages from Paporakis.
According to police, he had shared a document setting out a plan to attack a Hindu temple, along with pictures of a rifle, magazines, body armour and tactical gear. He was arrested as he left his home. Officers say they recovered a rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a body-armour vest carrying a patch with white supremacist imagery.
Investigators believe the attack may have been planned for 11 October and aimed at a Hindu place of worship in the Aurora area near Chicago. The temple has not been identified. Police say a document titled “Why I Fought: A.K.A.: (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto)” set out white supremacist views and referred to violence against people of South Asian, and particularly Indian, descent. Prosecutors have also alleged that he tried to carry out the plan but fled when his rifle malfunctioned.
Paporakis faces one count of making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony, and one count of unlawful possession of weapons. At a detention hearing on Wednesday, a judge ordered that he be held in custody. His next court date was reported to be 30 October, and the FBI is assisting local police.
A sharper tone from Delhi
The Consulate General of India in Chicago praised the quick response of US law enforcement and said it was in touch with the Indian community in the area.
New Delhi’s language was notably pointed. Rather than treating the case as a single crime, the ministry tied it to a wider pattern of “anti-India hate” and asked American authorities for “zero tolerance” towards violence driven by hate.
The case now moves through the Illinois courts.