Anti-Indian hate is surging, warned Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), following the investigation into a potential mass shooting planned by a white supremacist, at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois.

“I am horrified that a white supremacist attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans at the Hindu temple in Aurora where my family worships,” he said in a statement issued after authorities arrested a 19-year-old man accused of attempting to carry out a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans. “My family and I were there when the attack was attempted last Sunday.”

According to prosecutors, the suspect, who espoused white supremacist and neo-Nazi beliefs, allegedly attempted to open fire Sunday before his rifle jammed. After he told coworkers what happened and shared plans to try again, they alerted police, who arrested him before he could return.

Krishnamoorthi warned that the threat of such violence shows how dangerous anti-Indian hatred and white supremacy have become. “We cannot wait until innocent people are killed to take these threats seriously,” he added.

He said he was grateful to the suspect’s coworkers who alerted police and commend the law enforcement officers who intervened. “Every American deserves to live and worship without fear, and we must stand together against hatred in all its forms,” added Krishnamoorthi.

According to AP News, police said they arrested a 19-year-old man who may have planned to attack the largest Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois.

“Alexandros Paporakis, a Taco Bell cashier from Palatine, Illinois, faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing weapons,” reported AP News.

Paporakis had shared a manifesto with his co-workers that outlined “an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting and photos of tactical gear,” which they reported to police. Investigators recovered an AR-style rifle, loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, body armor, and other tactical equipment at his home. According to a court document obtained by The Associated Press, Paporakis sent the coworker an eight-page document titled, “Why I fought: A.K.A. (Aurora Shooter’s Manifesto),” which described Indian, Jewish and African American people as “subhumans” and outlined a plot to kill as many of them as possible,

According to police, “Paporakis openly identified as a white supremacist at work and told them he couldn’t wait to kill Indian people, according to prosecutors from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.”

Aurora Alderwoman Shweta Baid told ABC Eyewitness News that she was deeply saddened by the news of the attempted shooting, and urged people to stand together against hatred and intolerance.

“No one should ever feel unsafe while practicing their faith or gathering in a place of worship or anywhere. Such threats are unacceptable and have no place in our community.”

Advocacy group Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) said that Anti-South Asian hate and anti-Hindu bigotry “put a target on our backs.” They added that Stop AAPI Hate and the Center for the Study of Organized Hate had documented a sharp rise in anti-South Asian slurs and threats. Monthly anti-South Asian hate on X increased 240 percent between January 2024 and June 2026, with “invader,” job-theft, and demographic-threat narratives accounting for 45 percent of the hate documented

HfHR Executive Director Sravya Tadepalli said that Hindus deserve to feel safe in their places of worship. “This plot makes it clear that anti-Hindu and anti-Indian hate are escalating to a point of putting our community in danger. We are grateful to those who stepped up to stop a horrific incident from occurring.”