Aurora Hindu Temple Plot: Lawmakers Seek Federal Probe; Vance, Patel Stay Silent

WASHINGTON, DC – US lawmakers are pressing for a federal hate-crime investigation into an mass-shooting plot targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, as questions grow over the lack of public statements from FBI Director Kash Patel, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance.

Reps Rich McCormick (R-GA) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), co-chairs of the House India Caucus, have urged Attorney General Todd Blanche and Patel to investigate the case under federal laws covering attacks on religious property and hate crimes. In an October 16 letter, they also sought an inquiry into whether anyone encouraged or assisted the accused, wider sharing of threat information with temples and gurdwaras, and a briefing for the Caucus.

The calls followed the arrest of Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, in connection with the alleged plot. He faces state charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawful possession of a weapon in Cook County Circuit Court. No federal charges have been filed, and the FBI is reviewing the case. His next court date is October 30.

According to police, Paporakis’s car entered the temple parking lot on October 11 and left 13 minutes later. The FBI’s Chicago field office announced his arrest on October 14, crediting local police in Palatine and Mount Prospect. Authorities said Paporakis had told a co-worker that his gun had jammed.

The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) said the case highlighted the danger of white supremacist ideology and anti-South Asian hate. In a statement, its leaders said the suspect allegedly identified as a neo-Nazi, fantasized about murdering Indian people, wrote a South Asian slur on a gas canister and described Indian, Jewish and African American people as “subhumans.”

The statement was signed by CAPAC Chair Grace Meng, First Vice Chair Mark Takano, Second Vice Chair Jill Tokuda, Whip Ami Bera, Freshman Representative Suhas Subramanyam and Chair Emerita Judy Chu.

CAPAC also accused the Trump administration of contributing to anti-South Asian hostility through its rhetoric and appointments, and criticized cuts to FBI staff tasked with monitoring threats from white supremacist and militia groups. The lawmakers cited a roughly 240 per cent rise in anti-South Asian hate posts on X between January 2024 and June 2026, a figure drawn from a September 2026 report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate.

The plot has drawn condemnation from lawmakers across party lines. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said anti-Indian and anti-Hindu rhetoric had reached alarming levels and that hatred was turning into violence. Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth condemned the plot, while Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey called for action against anti-Indian hate and violence.

Congressman Darin LaHood (R-IL) said the accused must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Representative Bill Foster (D-IL), whose district includes Aurora, said everyone deserved to worship without fear. Other lawmakers, including Reps Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Deborah Ross (D-NC), also condemned hate-fueled violence and called for stronger protection of religious communities.

The City of Aurora and Israel’s Consul General in Chicago, Elad Strohmayer, also expressed support for the Hindu community. Meanwhile, a review of Patel’s official and personal social media accounts, the FBI website and the official accounts of JD Vance and Usha Vance found no public statement on the alleged plot as of the evening of October 17.

The FBI’s Chicago field office has issued a statement on the arrest. Special Agent in Charge Ryan Whalen said the bureau works with local and state law enforcement to identify and dismantle threats of violence driven by radical ideologies. The FBI has said further information would be released as appropriate while the investigation continues.

The Hindu American Foundation questioned the Vice President’s silence in a post on X on October 16, asking him to publicly condemn the alleged hatred and reaffirm that Hindu Americans had the right to worship safely. The group also appealed to Vance in light of his wife’s Hindu heritage.

Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, whose family was at the temple on October 11 for the start of Navratri, separately urged Patel to protect Americans against domestic violent extremism. He said the growth of hate directed at Indian Americans was astonishing. (IANS)