CHICAGO – A foiled mass shooting at a Hindu temple outside Chicago has deepened anxiety among the region’s South Asian community, casting a shadow over a season usually marked by faith, family and celebration.
Members of the targeted temple and other residents said they are drawing strength from their traditions and remain determined to observe the holidays without fear. At the same time, they are calling for meaningful action against the hatred directed at their community.
Prosecutors said Alexandros Paporakis arrived at the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple in Aurora, Illinois, earlier this month as worshippers gathered on Oct. 11 to begin Navaratri. He reportedly sat in the parking lot before fleeing when his rifle jammed, preventing him from firing a shot.
Paporakis, 19, was arrested later that day near his home in Palatine, Illinois, roughly 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the temple. A co-worker at a Taco Bell had alerted authorities after Paporakis allegedly disclosed a plan to “kill Indian people,” prosecutors said.
Paporakis is charged with felony counts of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing a firearm. He is scheduled to appear in court again Friday morning.
“A lot of us are just really appalled and just kind of disgusted,” said Asha Rao, executive director of The Chicago Kasam, a nonprofit that brings together the region’s South Asian community. “This is supposed to be a very peaceful time for our community, for all of us to come together and get time with our loved ones, our family, our friends, and be able to celebrate in a safe way.”
Safety concerns infiltrate joyful period
Navaratri is a nine-night Hindu festival honoring the Goddess Durga and ending with Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami. Diwali, the major Hindu holiday, follows about three weeks later. Avatans Kumar, a freelance columnist who occasionally worships at the targeted temple, said the nine-night fast is often followed by a large celebration on the 10th day, including outdoor fairs and gatherings with relatives and friends.
This year, however, security has become part of the preparations for those events.
“People are more vigilant now,” Kumar said. “People are looking for any signs of disturbance, keeping eyes and ears open.”
Rao said some community members were “more hesitant” about leaving home to celebrate. Still, she said, the threat has also strengthened their determination to observe the holiday and preserve their traditions without fear.
She said she hoped South Asians would “recognize how far we’ve come, all the great things that are happening in our community, the friends and the people.” In moments like this, she added, “That’s what it means to curate resilience in community in times like this.”
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Calls for prosecution and attention to hateful language
South Asian leaders in the Chicago area and Congress are urging law enforcement to determine whether the foiled attack qualifies as a hate crime and to bring additional charges if warranted. Prosecutors said Paporakis identified himself as a white supremacist and neo-Nazi and used slurs and other hateful language targeting Indians and additional minority groups.
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat whose district includes the targeted temple, previously told The Associated Press that he is “calling on the FBI to investigate and prosecute this particular matter as a hate crime.”
The alleged plot has also revived painful memories of anti-South Asian abuse. Stop AAPI Hate, which tracks reports of hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, said anti-South Asian slurs online increased 109% between 2023 and 2025. Nearly half of South Asian adults reported experiencing a hate act based on their race, ethnicity or nationality last year, according to the organization.
Illinois’ South Asian population grew from more than 242,000 people in 2010 to over 337,000 in 2020, accounting for about 2.5% of the state’s population, according to the South Asian American Policy and Research Institute. Some community members said bullying and race-based harassment have long been a routine part of their lives.
Following Paporakis’ arrest, authorities said they found weapons, ammunition, a gas canister marked with a slur against South Asians and multiple items featuring Nazi symbols at his home. Officials also said he had written an extensive note describing fantasies of mass murder and a desire to kill as many non-white people as possible.
Rishab Chatty, leader of the Chicago chapter of Hindus for Human Rights, said anti-Hindu and anti-South Asian hatred was once “thought to be something that namely existed in chat rooms and in school lunch cafeterias.” Now, he said, it is “becoming more and more violent.”
“A lot of folks within my community are really questioning what it means to belong in a country that exercises hate and violence against them,” he added.
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Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
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