Indian American Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) led 105 members of Congress in urging the FBI to investigate an alleged attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, as a potential federal hate crime.
In a letter dated Oct. 20, the lawmakers asked FBI Director Kash Patel to examine possible racial, ethnic and religious bias in the Oct. 11 incident at Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Hindu Temple. Krishnamoorthi and his family were worshipping there when the alleged attack occurred.
The signatories include the entire Illinois House Democratic delegation, every Indian American member of Congress and Sens. Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, Andy Kim and Chris Van Hollen.
According to prosecutors, Alexandros Paporakis, 19, allegedly attempted to shoot a man outside the temple, but his rifle malfunctioned. Paporakis left the area and later communicated plans to return, prompting a coworker to alert police, when authorities arrested him that day.
Prosecutors allege that Paporakis authored an eight-page manifesto expressing white supremacist views and describing violence against people of Indian descent at a Hindu house of worship.
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Investigators recovered a rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, body armor and white supremacist imagery, according to the lawmakers’ letter.
The lawmakers said the circumstances warranted a thorough federal investigation and asked the FBI to determine whether the alleged plot involved violations of federal hate crime laws. Their request also addresses concerns about hostility toward South Asian communities online.
A September 2026 report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate identified more than 542,000 hateful anti-South Asian posts on X between January 2025 and June 2026. The monthly volume rose approximately 240% between January 2024 and June 2026, according to the report cited in the letter.
A separate Carnegie Endowment for International Peace survey found that 48% of Indian American respondents encountered racist posts targeting their community very or somewhat often since the beginning of 2025. One in four said they had been called a slur.
The letter also criticizes federal government messaging that the lawmakers believe risks reinforcing racial and religious stereotypes.
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They cited a Department of Homeland Security post depicting a Sikh man alongside the message, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh,” and a Department of Education post stating “Make College Football Great Again” after a Texas Republican complained about South Asians attending a University of Texas football game.
The lawmakers asked whether investigators were examining possible online communications, assistance from other individuals or coordination related to the alleged plot.
They also sought information about threat-sharing with local law enforcement, security resources for houses of worship and the FBI’s capacity to assess threats involving anti-Indian and anti-Hindu bias.
Another concern is how investigators distinguish credible threats and potentially criminal conduct from protected expression under the First Amendment. The lawmakers urged the FBI to pursue all applicable offenses and explain the steps being taken to protect affected communities.
The letter requests written responses by Oct. 29, 2026, to the extent consistent with the ongoing investigation.