Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) led 105 members of Congress, including the entire Illinois House Democratic delegation, every Indian American member of Congress, and Senators Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, Andy Kim, and Chris Van Hollen, in urging FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate the attempted mass shooting at the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, as a potential federal hate crime.
Krishnamoorthi and his family were worshipping at the temple when the attempted attack occurred on October 11. In a social media post, Rep.Krishnamoorthi said, “I led 105 lawmakers in demanding the FBI investigate the attempted mass shooting at my family’s Hindu temple in Aurora as a potential hate crime. We must confront the rising tide of anti-Indian hate and the online threats putting our communities at risk.”
The lawmakers also demanded answers about the FBI’s efforts to identify and address credible online threats targeting Indian Americans, Hindu Americans, and other South Asian communities, and asserted that no one and no community should be fearful of being targeted because of their ancestry, appearance, or faith, and no congregation should have to wonder whether gathering for worship will make its members targets of mass violence.
According to prosecutors, 19-year-old Alexandros Paporakis, a self-identified neo-Nazi, tried to shoot a man outside the temple, but his rifle jammed. He fled and later communicated plans to return before a coworker alerted police, who arrested him that day.
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Prosecutors allege that Paporakis authored an eight-page white supremacist manifesto describing violence against people of Indian descent at a Hindu house of worship. Investigators recovered a rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, body armor, and white supremacist imagery.
In the letter to the FBI, the lawmakers say, “The alleged combination of targeted racial hatred, a religious setting, and preparations for mass violence demands a comprehensive federal response. We appreciate the FBI’s reported assistance to local investigators and urge the Bureau to ensure that potential hate-crime violations receive explicit attention.”
The letter comes amid a surge in online hostility toward South Asians. A September 2026 report identified more than 542,000 anti-South Asian hateful posts on X between January 2025 and June 2026, with the monthly volume rising approximately 240 percent from January 2024 to June 2026.
A Carnegie Endowment survey also found that 48 percent of Indian American respondents encountered racist posts targeting their community very or somewhat often since the start of 2025, while one in four reported being called a slur.
The lawmakers also cited a Department of Homeland Security post depicting a Sikh man with the message, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh,” and a Department of Education post declaring “Make College Football Great Again” after a Texas Republican complained about South Asians attending a University of Texas football game.
“We believe such messaging risks lending governmental legitimacy to racial and religious stereotyping. Federal agencies should make clear that debates over immigration or public safety never justify collective suspicion of Indian, Sikh, Hindu, or other South Asian communities.”
The lawmakers requested a written response to the following questions, to the extent consistent with an ongoing investigation, by October 29, 2026:
- Is the FBI investigating the alleged Aurora-area plot as a potential federal hate crime? If so, is that investigation examining both racial or ethnic bias and religious bias, and is the Bureau coordinating with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s Office?
- Are investigators examining whether the defendant used online platforms to communicate threats, select potential targets, obtain assistance, or coordinate with others? Are they assessing whether any individuals encouraged or materially assisted the alleged plot?
- What steps is the FBI taking, consistent with the First Amendment and applicable investigative authorities, to identify and assess credible online threats targeting Indian Americans, Hindu Americans, Sikhs, and other South Asian communities? How does the Bureau distinguish protected expression, including offensive speech, from threats and conduct warranting investigation?
- What mechanisms exist for sharing actionable threat information with state and local law enforcement and potentially targeted houses of worship? What outreach and protective resources are being offered to affected communities following this alleged plot?
- Does the FBI have adequate personnel, language expertise, and analytical capacity to assess threats involving anti-Indian, anti-Hindu, and broader anti-South Asian bias? What additional resources, if any, does the Bureau believe it needs?
For the full letter visit- Krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases