Authorities say a 19-year-old transgender Palatine resident who allegedly identified as a neo-Nazi planned a mass shooting at a Hindu temple near Chicago. Police said the suspected attack was stopped after a coworker reported a troubling message.

Alexandros Paporakis was arrested Sunday in connection with the alleged plot targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora, a Chicago suburb, Palatine Police said during a news conference Thursday.

Paporakis has been charged with one felony count of making a terrorist threat and one felony count of unlawful possession of a weapon.

A Cook County judge ordered Paporakis held without bond and approved a jail healthcare plan. According to NBC Chicago, the teenager receives hormone injections as part of gender-affirming care and is being treated for ADHD, depression and anxiety.

Prosecutors allege that Paporakis traveled to the Aurora temple carrying a modified rifle, roughly 300 rounds of ammunition, body armor and additional tactical equipment. Police said he intended to launch a shooting but abandoned the attempt when the weapon malfunctioned.

After returning home, Paporakis allegedly searched online for instructions on clearing the rifle. Police also said he contacted a coworker and disclosed plans to carry out a mass shooting.

The coworker and other Taco Bell employees contacted Mount Prospect Police after receiving what they considered a suspicious message from Paporakis. That report prompted investigators to secure a search warrant and take him into custody before he could allegedly go back to the temple.

Law enforcement officials credited the tipster with helping prevent possible violence and urged members of the public to report threats or other warning signs to authorities.

“I want to praise and offer my personal, sincerest thanks to the individual who stepped forward,” FBI Chicago Field Office acting special agent in charge Lucas Rothaar said Thursday. He described public tips as a crucial factor in disrupting potential acts of violence and terrorism.

Following the tip, police traced a red Acura registered to Paporakis. Surveillance footage allegedly showed the vehicle entering the temple’s parking lot at about 12:25 p.m. and leaving several minutes later.

Investigators later saw Paporakis drive to a Rand Road residence in Palatine that he shared with his mother. During a search of the home, police said they recovered a rifle, a loaded magazine, hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition and other tactical equipment.

Authorities also found an eight-page document they described as a manifesto. Police said it outlined the alleged attack and contained white supremacist beliefs attributed to Paporakis.

According to police, the document promoted hatred, violence and the idea of racial superiority, while describing a mass shooting targeting Indian people. Investigators said it included hateful references to Jewish people, African Americans, Indians and other nonwhite groups, whom Paporakis allegedly called “subhumans,” and outlined plans to kill as many people as possible.

Police said the writings portrayed Paporakis as taking pride in the identity of a “sociopathic white supremacist Neo-Nazi,” expressing hatred and fantasies about mass murder that officials said occurred nearly every day.

The document also allegedly used the name “Aurora Shooter” to refer to Paporakis.

The judge ordered Paporakis to remain in custody. His next court hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.

The Hindu temple said it had been notified of the security threat and has increased security measures.

“Please know that the safety of our devotees, employees and volunteers is our highest priority, and we have implemented additional security measures effective immediately, including increased armed security presence at the Temple and are taking additional steps to ensure an ongoing safe environment for everyone at the Temple,” the temple said in a message on its website.

A family dog alerted its owners to a fast-moving house fire in Oregon, helping them escape—but the animal is believed to have died in the blaze, officials said.

The fire began shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday in Tigard, a suburb roughly 10 miles southwest of Portland, and quickly consumed the home in towering orange flames.

Those inside became aware of the danger only after the family dog raised the alarm, according to Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue. The agency said the pet is believed to have perished in the fire.

One resident sustained burns, while another was hurt after leaping from a balcony in an effort to escape. Officials have not released their names.

Three additional occupants got out of the burning house without injury, the fire agency said.

Several pet birds are also presumed dead. A second dog, however, survived and escaped the home safely, officials said.

The two injured residents were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Tigard police said both are expected to recover.

The intensity of the flames forced firefighters to attack the fire from outside, using hose lines positioned around every side of the house, officials explained.

As the inferno intensified, sections of the house—including walls and ceilings—began collapsing.

Crews eventually contained the flames with only one fire hydrant available. They also prevented the fire from reaching nearby trees and shrubs.

The fire flared up again just before 7 a.m., sending crews back to the property to extinguish lingering hot spots, Fox 12 reported.

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A hot spot is a smoldering area that continues to retain active heat after the main fire has been extinguished.

The property has been deemed a total loss, and the displaced family has arranged alternate housing, the department said.

Video released by the fire agency showed that several vehicles parked at the property were also destroyed.

Fire investigators are working to determine what caused the devastating blaze, according to the department.

Police body-camera video captured the eerie aftermath and the frightening conditions crews faced at the scene.

In it, a male officer pulled up to the home, which was clearly ablaze, and screamed: ‘Is anybody inside?’ 

A woman responded frantically, stating: ‘The whole house is on fire.’ 

The cop asked if that was her home, and after the woman appeared to say no, he told her to stay put as he approached the burning home.

At one point, a loud boom was heard near the home as fire crews, ambulances, and more officers arrived on scene. 

The Daily Mail contacted Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue and the Tigard Police Department for comment.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has not appeared publicly since federal agents searched her Washington, D.C., residence Monday. Her husband and political consultant, Tim Mynett, has continued to be seen leaving the couple’s rented home this week.

On Wednesday, Mynett was spotted taking their golden Labrador, Teddy, for a walk. He later stepped outside to throw away the trash and, on a third occasion, accompanied one of Omar’s staff members from the property.

During an evening walk with the dog, Mynett was asked about reports that the congresswoman had left the United States.

When Fox News Digital questioned him about the latest developments, including President Donald Trump’s public comments, Mynett replied, “You guys are annoying the hell out of all the neighbors around here, man.”

Earlier that day, one of Omar’s congressional staffers was seen arriving at the residence with two large Burger King bags. After she entered, security personnel escorted her to the door and remained stationed outside the home.

The sightings came as speculation spread online that Omar may have left the country after Homeland Security Investigations agents searched the home. Fox News Digital first reported that the raid was connected to a criminal investigation involving the Somali-born lawmaker’s immigration paperwork.

Federal authorities reportedly took Omar’s cellphone and passport during the search.

According to reporters, Omar’s congressional staff helped change her birth year in the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library from 1981 to 1982. She reportedly became a U.S. citizen automatically through her father’s naturalization because she was 17 at the time. If the earlier birth year is accurate, she would have been 18, potentially raising questions about whether she qualified for citizenship as a minor.

The revised birth year remained in official records throughout Omar’s service in the Minnesota House and for several months after she entered Congress.

Asked earlier this week about the federal inquiry, Mynett told Fox News Digital that he was not worried about what investigators might uncover regarding his wife’s immigration history.

“My wife came here when she was 12 years old as a child war refugee,” Mynett said. “No concerns.”

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Mynett’s remarks followed reports that HSI had subpoenaed members of Omar’s family as part of the investigation. At least two relatives were reportedly served, including, according to reports, her sister Sahra Noor.

Fox News Digital also asked Mynett about Trump’s questions concerning Omar’s finances. On Truth Social, the president suggested that an accountant may have initially reported inaccurate or potentially fraudulent figures after an earlier disclosure listed the couple’s combined net worth as high as $30 million.

“Why did Ilhan Omar report a Net Worth of up to 30 Million Dollars just a short time ago, and then immediately say, ‘Oh, I made a mistake! It’s really $100,000.’ Could it be that her highly paid accountant actually reported the money that was stolen from her fraudulent activities in Minnesota? Would something like that be possible? Do you think the accountant actually gave the right number the first time, 30 Million Dollars, and then she was forced to disavow because she never would have been able to report where that much money came from? She must have freaked out when she saw that money!” Trump wrote Tuesday.

Trump continued, “Where did her house come from, where did her cars come from, and what about her lovely place in Washington, D.C.? I didn’t know that Congressmen and women made that kind of money, but I do know her husband, according to information and belief, makes almost nothing, so it couldn’t have come from him. How many people did she illegally bring into our Country from Somalia? America wants answers, and we want them, NOW!”

Mynett is also connected to a separate inquiry focused on Omar’s financial disclosures and the value of the couple’s reported assets.

After Monday’s raid, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said her office was examining Omar’s disclosures regarding the couple’s combined net worth.

The financial questions intensified after Omar’s 2024 congressional filing listed business interests tied to Mynett as being worth between $6 million and $30 million. Her office later acknowledged that the numbers were inaccurate and submitted an amended disclosure.

The most significant revisions involved assets attributed to Mynett. His ownership stakes in a winery and a venture capital advisory company, previously reported at multimillion-dollar values, were subsequently listed without a stated value.

In the original 2024 filing, Mynett’s winery interest was valued between $1 million and $5 million, while his stake in the venture capital advisory firm was estimated at $5 million to $25 million. The amended document lists both equity interests at zero dollars.

Omar’s office previously told Fox News Digital that Mynett has partners in both businesses and said the earlier disclosure mistakenly reflected the businesses’ total equity rather than his ownership interest. The office also said the original filing listed assets without accounting for liabilities.

Officials noted that the investigation into Omar’s financial disclosures is unrelated to the raid on her home.

The Houthis are becoming less dependent on Tehran and increasingly capable of acting on their own, creating what a former U.S. envoy described Thursday as a “clear and very present danger” internationally as the group rebuilds its weapons arsenal and improves its ability to launch precise strikes.

The assessment followed a series of deadly Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, along with mounting concerns about threats to commercial shipping and vital infrastructure across the Middle East.

Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, said Thursday that Houthi attacks targeting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 17 people and wounded 333 between Oct. 7 and Oct. 11.

During a news briefing in Riyadh, al-Maliki said the Oct. 10 assault included 10 drones, missiles and other airborne projectiles.

“King Khalid International Airport has been targeted 20 times since Oct. 1,” he said.

Tim Lenderking, who served as the U.S. special envoy for Yemen from 2021 through 2025 and was assigned to Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2016, said Saudi officials had warned American leaders more than a decade ago that the Houthis could become a serious security threat. He believes that forecast has now come true.

“The Saudis were very clear with our leaders that they saw the Houthis as a major threat,” Lenderking recalled of his time in the kingdom.

He said the movement was then “quietly building up its capability” while developing a broader ideological message to justify its push for power in Yemen as a northern Yemeni group with a distinct agenda and mission.

The Houthis began as a religious and political movement in Yemen during the 1990s. Their relationship with Iran evolved into a military partnership after 2014, when Tehran increased its support and training during Yemen’s civil war.

“The Houthis don’t really need the Iranians anymore,” said Lenderking, a former acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. He stressed, however, that Iran’s support remained “a very important relationship” that helped transform the group into the formidable force it is today.

Lenderking, now a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the Houthis gradually built an indigenous weapons and operational infrastructure of their own while taking advantage of divisions among Gulf states.

The latest missile and drone barrage against King Khalid International Airport on Saturday also raised questions about whether President Donald Trump could be pulled into a wider Middle East conflict as Riyadh seeks additional U.S. support.

When asked whether the United States would protect Saudi Arabia from future Houthi attacks, Trump replied, “You’ll find out soon.”

At an MEI briefing, Lenderking said the Houthis’ advanced weapons and increasingly accurate targeting have changed the group’s profile from a local insurgency into a threat with international consequences.

“They can strike across the region, including as far north as the upper Red Sea,” Lenderking said. “This is a regional problem, particularly because the Houthis control Yemen’s western coastline.”

“It is now an international problem.”

Lenderking pointed to the accuracy of the Riyadh airport assault as a sign of how much the Houthis’ capabilities have improved since earlier attacks carried out during the Gaza conflict.

“They are now able to hit targets more accurately. They struck Terminal Four at Riyadh Airport with remarkable specificity,” he said. “That represents a clear and very present danger.”

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The Houthis reportedly launched multiple drones followed by cruise and ballistic missiles that traveled more than 620 miles to Riyadh, prompting an investigation into possible Saudi air defense failures, according to The Associated Press, citing regional officials.

Saudi forces intercepted two more ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh on Monday. On Tuesday, a Houthi strike caused damage to Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, sparking a fire that spread across several floors, Reuters reported.

Lenderking said the Houthis have built extensive weapons supply chains, smuggling networks and domestic financing operations that allow them to sustain attacks without relying solely on Tehran.

“They get a lot of supplies off the open market through the internet, through commercial exchanges. They have a very well entrenched smuggling network, from big boats onto small boats, onto tiny boats, on the pack animals, on people’s backs.

“They are able to move things undetected through government terrain, even through various borders and with a lot of wide open space there. They are constantly moving, building, resupplying, restocking, innovating.”

The group’s self-sufficiency also extends to financing. Lenderking said the Houthis generate revenue through black-market oil sales, taxation and extortion while also forcing families to provide recruits, allowing the group to continue fighting even if Iranian assistance is cut off.

“They have had support from Iran over the years, so they have money in the bank from that,” Lenderking said. 

“They relied on sales of black market oil in the past. They extort Yemeni transport companies, businesses. They tax people in areas that they control. They force many families to offer up a son to fight on the front lines.”

The Houthis’ expanding arsenal has raised concerns about potential Chinese involvement in their weapons supply networks.

Yemen’s government has accused the rebels of seeking Chinese components for medium-range ballistic missiles, raising concerns about the group’s access to advanced military technology.

“There is a Chinese connection here that’s very detrimental,” Lenderking warned, adding that front companies have helped the group obtain weapons through commercial channels.

Lenderking warned that the Houthis could also target Saudi energy facilities, pipelines and desalination plants, infrastructure critical to the kingdom’s economy and water supply. 

“The Houthis have hit pipelines,” he said. “They have diesel plants and other energy infrastructure in their sights.”

Attacks on such facilities could disrupt global energy markets, maritime commerce and regional stability.

The Houthis also control Yemen’s western coastline along the Red Sea, a vital shipping corridor connecting Europe and Asia.

With the rebels now capable of striking targets hundreds of miles away, Lenderking warned that the threat extends far beyond Yemen’s borders.

“One blast at Riyadh Airport is a huge statement,” the expert said.

“That’s why I come back to the fact that this is an international conflict,” he said, adding that “immediate action is required.”