South Asians for America (SAFA) condemned an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, and urged federal authorities to review the case for possible hate crime and domestic terrorism charges.
According to a press statement from SAFA, police arrested Alexandros Paporakis on Sunday, and prosecutors charged him with making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a weapon, both felonies. Officers recovered an AR-style rifle, at least 300 rounds of ammunition and a tactical vest, the organization said.
Citing prosecutors, SAFA said Paporakis openly identified as a white supremacist and made threats against Indian people. The organization described the alleged plot as targeting Hindu families gathered for prayer.
SAFA said the threat emerged during Navaratri celebrations, two weeks after vandalism at the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio. The organization placed the incidents within a broader history of hate directed at South Asian Americans and their places of worship, including the 2012 massacre at a Sikh gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
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The organization called on the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI to review the Aurora case for potential federal charges. It also urged Congress and the Illinois General Assembly to expand funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to strengthen security at temples, gurdwaras, mosques, churches and synagogues.
SAFA further asked elected officials at all levels to explicitly condemn the alleged plot and reject rhetoric targeting immigrants and people of Indian descent.
“No family should fear for their lives while they pray,” said SAFA National Co-Director Neha Dewan. “SAFA will continue to mobilize and demand accountability until every community worships in safety.”
Harini Krishnan, also a national co-director of SAFA, called for community members to report threats and engage candidates on hate violence and gun safety ahead of the November elections.
“White supremacist violence targets our communities because of who we are and how we worship,” Krishnan said. “Our answer is organizing. We urge all South Asians to report threats to law enforcement, check on their neighbors and places of worship, and ask every candidate on the ballot this November where they stand on hate violence and gun safety.”
