Rifle and body armor at crowded Hindu temple: community leaders call foiled attack result of online hate surge

Arrest after temple threat

Authorities said Alexandros Paporakis, 19, went to the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora on Sunday afternoon carrying a rifle and body armor. He stayed in the parking lot for several minutes and left after his weapon jammed, officials said.

A Taco Bell co-worker alerted authorities to Paporakis’ plan to “kill Indian people,” officials said. He was arrested later Sunday near his home in Palatine, Illinois. The temple was packed with thousands observing the first day of Navaratri, a nine-night celebration of Shakti.

Leaders call for action

At a Friday news conference in Chicago, U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and other faith and civic leaders urged authorities to investigate the attempted shooting as a hate crime. They also called for a coordinated effort to counter hate and extremism targeting communities.

Krishnamoorthi said he and his parents were inside the temple during the incident. He called for the FBI to pursue a hate-crime case and for social media companies to curb hateful rhetoric online.

Online hostility and attacks

Other incidents cited include bricks thrown at a Hindu temple in Richmond Heights, Ohio, on Oct. 3, shattering windows while devotees prayed. In June 2025, gunfire damaged the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. A 90-foot Hanuman statue in Sugar Land, Texas, has also drawn disparaging comments, including a call for its demolition from a YouTube personality.

Temple strengthens security

Aurora temple administrators said Thursday they had added security measures, including an armed security presence, and stressed the safety of devotees, employees and volunteers. Krishnamoorthi described the 20-acre temple as a cultural hub for the Chicago area and said it had been a home away from home for his family for about 40 years.

He said the temple connects recent immigrants with their homeland and hosts concerts, dance performances, birthdays and weddings. Its cafeteria serving South Indian food is popular, he added.

Research tracks rising rhetoric

Joel Finkelstein of the Network Contagion Research Institute said weekly anti-Indian content on X tripled in 2025. He said changes to immigration policies, particularly those involving H-1B visas, coincided with measurable increases in racial slurs and deportation rhetoric aimed at Indians.

Finkelstein said the South Asian community in the United States lacks the strength and unity to advocate for itself, despite significant resources. Krishnamoorthi also urged the FBI to redirect resources toward domestic violent extremism.