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US lawmakers urge federal hate crime probe into Aurora plot
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2026-10-18 03:04 UTC → 2026-10-21 02:44 UTC ·
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Foiled Hindu temple attack US lawmakers urge federal hate crime probe into Aurora plot in Illinois
A 19-year-old suspect, identifying as a ‘white supremacist neo-Nazi’, was arrested in Aurora, Illinois, after a planned mass shooting at the Sri Venkateswara Temple was thwarted when his rifle jammed. The suspect, identified as Alexandros Paporakis, faces charges including making terrorist threats and illegal possession of weapons. Court documents reveal Paporakis allegedly attempted to attack the temple with an AR-15 and 300 rounds of ammunition, firing one shot at a passerby before his weapon jammed. Investigators recovered a rifle, ammunition, body armor, and white supremacist imagery at the scene. In an eight-page manifesto, he reportedly described Indians, Jews, and Black people as ‘sub human’ and stated he targeted the temple to ‘destroy’ something for pleasure. Following the arrest, India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the incident, describing the conspiracy as “extremely concerning” and noting it reflects rising racial hatred and anti-India sentiment in the United States. The Indian government has also requested that Washington ensure the safety of Indian nationals in the U.S. In response, A bipartisan group of 105 US lawmakers, including the House India Caucus co-chaired led by Representatives Ro Khanna Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi—who was at the temple with his family during the incident—has formally called on the FBI and Rich McCormick, have urged the Department of Justice and the FBI to investigate the incident attack as a potential federal hate crime. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, who was at In a letter addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel, lawmakers emphasized the temple with his family during need to determine if racial and religious hatred motivated the incident, described suspect and if others were involved in the event as a “deeply disturbing act of hate.” planning. Lawmakers cited a 240 percent increase in anti-South Asian hate posts on the social media platform X between January 2024 and June 2026 as evidence of growing online hostility translating into real-world violence.
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- 2026-10-21 02:44 UTC US lawmakers urge federal hate crime probe into Aurora plot
- 2026-10-18 03:04 UTC Foiled Hindu temple attack plot in Illinois
- 2026-10-17 01:14 UTC Foiled Hindu temple attack plot in Illinois
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