Teen held without bail over an alleged plot to shoot up a Hindu temple in Aurora, as India demands a hate crime investigation

The attack police say was planned for Sunday never happened, because the people who heard about it first were the suspect's coworkers, and they called the police.

Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, a cashier at a Taco Bell in Arlington Heights, was arrested on Sunday afternoon as he left his home, in a coordinated operation by Mount Prospect and Palatine police. He faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing weapons. Investigators believe he planned to target the largest Hindu temple in Aurora, the Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple, while the exact intended location remains under investigation. Police said on Thursday that a car registered to Paporakis was at the temple he is accused of targeting.

Prosecutors say the case began with his coworkers. They told police they had received concerning messages from him, including a document setting out an alleged mass shooting plan and photos of tactical gear, and that he openly identified as a white supremacist at work and said he could not wait to kill Indian people. He had told coworkers Sunday was going to be a special day. Prosecutors say he called one coworker earlier that Sunday and said his gun had jammed and he had left very fast without being seen.

The document, as described in court filings reported by the Associated Press, runs eight pages under a title casting himself as the Aurora shooter. In it, prosecutors say, he described Indian, Jewish and Black people as subhumans and set out a plot to kill as many of them as possible, and described himself as a sociopathic white supremacist neo Nazi. A search of his home turned up an AR style rifle without a serial number, loaded magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a gas canister labelled with a slur aimed at South Asians, a tactical vest and items depicting Nazi symbolism, police and prosecutors said.

At a court appearance on Wednesday, a Cook County judge ordered Paporakis held without bail pending trial, with his next hearing set for October 30. The judge also entered a health care order noting that he receives hormone injections for gender transition, along with treatment for ADHD, depression and anxiety, NBC Chicago reported. The Cook County Public Defender's office, which represents him, reminded the public that statements by police and prosecutors are allegations and that cases can change significantly as they are investigated. He has not entered a plea, and the charges are unproven.

The case has crossed an ocean. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday that India is deeply concerned by the alleged plot, called its reported anti Hindu and racist nature particularly disturbing, and urged American authorities to investigate thoroughly, prosecute to the maximum extent of the law and take measures to protect Indian nationals. Hindu organisations in the United States called on the FBI to treat the matter as a hate crime and urged temples to stay vigilant during the festival season. Palatine Police Chief William Nord said the seriousness of the alleged threat cannot be overstated, and that protecting places of worship is a law enforcement priority. The picture is an illustration of a temple under police protection, not a photograph of the Aurora temple.