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After his first attempt to open fire at the US Hindu temple failed, the 19-year-old did not give up and searched the internet for ways to fix the rifle. However, a call to his Taco Bell co-worker eventually proved crucial.
New Delhi,Oct 15, 2026 15:16 IST
Nineteen-year-old Alexandros Paporakis was one malfunctioning rifle away from becoming a mass shooter and inflicting a massacre at the largest Hindu temple in Chicago. Even after his first attempt failed, the baby-faced teen did not give up and searched the internet for ways to fix the rifle. However, a call to his Taco Bell co-worker eventually proved crucial. It exposed Paporakis's plan to "kill a significant number of Indians", and he was eventually arrested.
Prosecutors said Paporakis, who works as a cashier at a Taco Bell outlet, harboured a hatred for South Asians, especially Indians. He even boldly told his co-workers previously that he "couldn't wait to kill Indian people". However, his words were not taken seriously then.
US TEEN PLANNED TO 'KILL SEVERAL INDIANS'
On October 11 (Sunday), Paporakis, in tactical gear, drove to the temple heavily armed with an AR-style rifle and around 300 rounds of ammunition. US media reports said the Sri Venkateswara Swami Balaji Temple, the largest Hindu temple in Chicago, was the likely target.
The US teen, who described himself as a "white supremacist Neo-Nazi", likely chose a Sunday to inflict mass casualties. Several Indian-Americans had gathered at the temple that day ahead of the first day of Navratri.
However, when Paporakis tried to fire the rifle, the weapon jammed, as per court filings. Investigators said that had the rifle not malfunctioned, he would have been able to wreak terrible havoc.
Paporakis still did not drop his plan. Instead, he drove to his mother's residence in Palatine, around 40 miles away, and searched the internet to learn of ways to unjam a rifle.
HOW US TEEN'S PLAN WAS FOILED?
At the same time, he texted a co-worker from Taco Bell and asked him to call. When the co-worker called him, Paporakis disclosed his plan, how his rifle had jammed and that he left the temple "super-fast".
He also texted the co-worker on Signal, sent images of the rifle and a video showing the weapon failing to fire when he pulled the trigger. He also sent a photograph of himself wearing a tactical vest.
Paporakis also told his co-worker that he was lucky not to be spotted, as he had fired while inside his car.
According to a report in Fox32, the teenager further told his colleague that he didn't believe in divine intervention, but the man whom he had targeted was "certainly saved by his God today".
During the chat, Paporakis also sent a copy of his eight-page manifesto regarding the proposed attack. The manifesto was later recovered by the police during a search at his residence.
In it, Paporakis identified himself as the 'Aurora Shooter' and described how he obtained the modified AR-style rifle and how he zeroed on the temple using YouTube and Google Street View. He further wrote that he had been planning the attack for nearly two years and selected the target two months ago.
The manifesto also included writings about his hatred towards Indians, Jews, African Americans and other non-white communities. Paporakis described them as "subhumans" and wrote about a plan to kill as many of them as possible.
He also described himself as a "white supremacist Neo-Nazi" who fantasised about "mass murders" every day, according to a report in NBC Chicago.
Now, coming back to what unfolded after Paporakis's call. It proved to be crucial. The co-worker and another colleague immediately dialled 911, tipping off the police about Paporakis.
The teen was arrested the same day in the evening, before he could return to the temple.
WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT ALEXANDROS PAPORAKIS?
There are very scant details about Paporakis. He was been charged with making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing a weapon.
What we know is that he worked as a cashier at a Taco Bell outlet in Arlington Heights for seven months. His co-workers said he held extremist views and heard him talking about Nazi ideology and violence, US media reports said.
Court documents also reveal that Paporakis suffered from mental and emotional issues. Paporakis was being treated for ADHD, depression, anxiety, and received hormone injections for gender transition, the NBC Chicago report said.
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