Washington, Oct 17 (IANS) The co-chairs of the House India Caucus have asked the Justice Department and the FBI to investigate the foiled plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, as a potential federal hate crime.
Republican Rich McCormick of Georgia and Democrat Ro Khanna of California on Friday urged Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel to pursue the case under 18 U.S.C. Sections 247 and 249.
The lawmakers asked the Justice Department and the FBI to determine whether anyone “encouraged, assisted, or coordinated with the defendant,” to share threat information with temples and gurdwaras, and to brief the Caucus.
The letter cited a roughly 240 percent rise in anti-South Asian hate posts on X between January 2024 and June 2026.
“As Co-Chair of the US India Caucus, I’m joining @RepMcCormick in calling on the DOJ and FBI to investigate this as a potential federal hate crime and hold those responsible accountable. The attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois is horrifying,” Khanna said.
Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia said: “The attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora is horrifying and a chilling reminder of the growing threat of hate and extremism. I stand with @CongressmanRaja and the Hindu American community. We need a full federal investigation into this attack. No one should ever have to choose between practicing their faith and fearing for their safety.”
So far, only state charges have been filed, and the FBI is reviewing the case. The next court date is October 30.
According to the Chicago Tribune, citing prosecutors’ court filings, the accused wrote in an eight-page manifesto: “I decided to target something that would give me pleasure to destroy.”
The Tribune also reported that he recently signed a guardianship petition filed by a family friend, and FOX 32 reported that police said his mother was not cooperating.
The letter follows a statement on Thursday by the leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) blaming the Trump administration’s rhetoric and appointments for fuelling anti-South Asian hate.
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. Bera and Subramanyam are Indian American.
“We also cannot ignore the Trump administration’s role in peddling anti-South Asian hate,” the lawmakers said.
They cited the appointment of “a man who said to ‘never trust a chinaman or Indian [sic],'” the posting of “white supremacist messaging on official government accounts,” and the echoing of the Great Replacement Theory, which they called “a dangerous far-right ideology that has been referenced by extremists to justify mass shootings and acts of racial terror.”
“At the same time, the administration has weakened efforts to combat domestic terrorism by cutting FBI staff tasked with monitoring threats posed by white supremacists and militia groups,” the statement said.
The caucus said: “Anti-South Asian hate speech has surged by 240% on X alone over the past two years, driven in part by influential figures who amplify racist rhetoric, scapegoat immigrant communities, and allow bigotry and xenophobia to be pushed further into the mainstream.”
The figure comes from a September 2026 report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, linked in the statement.
“We are horrified that a white supremacist attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, where CAPAC Member Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and his family worship,” the lawmakers said.
They said the “self-proclaimed Neo-Nazi allegedly fantasized about murdering Indian people, wrote a South Asian slur on a gas canister, and described Indian, Jewish, and African American people as ‘subhumans.'”
“This plot exposes the very real danger white supremacist ideology poses to our communities and houses of worship, and it cannot be viewed in isolation,” the statement said.
The caucus thanked the suspect’s coworkers who alerted authorities and commended law enforcement. “We must never allow the cancers of anti-South Asian hate, religious bigotry, and white supremacy to take root in our country,” it said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said: “Anti-Indian and anti-Hindu rhetoric is at an alarming level in America, and now we are seeing that hatred turn into violence. Bigotry against any community has no place in America.”
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth called the plot “absolutely horrifying” and said: “White supremacy and hate have no place in our nation.”
Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey said in a post: “We must condemn anti-Indian hate and violence, and do everything we can to stop it.”
Republicans also spoke out. Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia, co-chair of the House India Caucus: “The plot to massacre innocent Americans at a Hindu temple is unequivocally wrong. Violence toward anyone based on a religion, political orientation, or race is evil.”
Illinois Republican Darin LaHood said that the person behind the attempt “must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Rep. Bill Foster, whose district includes Aurora, said: “Everyone deserves to worship in peace and safety, and no one should live in fear of being targeted because of their faith or ethnicity.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, said: “As a Hindu American, I am angered by the attempted mass shooting at a Temple by a white supremacist.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal said: “Attacks on South Asians have been on the rise, online and by leaders in our own government.”
Bera said: “Congress must do more to combat hate-fueled violence and protect our communities from these threats.”
Rep. Shri Thanedar said: “Congress must fight the horrifying rise in anti-Hindu attacks.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin said: “We must stand together—and strong—against white supremacist hate and violence targeted at temples, synagogues, churches and mosques.”
Debbie Wasserman Schultz said: “The FBI must investigate this and we must protect houses of worship from acts of violence and hate.” Rep. Deborah Ross said in a post on X: “The threats of white supremacy and anti-Indian hate must be taken seriously and unequivocally condemned.”
The City of Aurora, in a post on X headlined “Hate Has No Place In The City Of Aurora,” said: “Aurora’s strength lies in its diversity, and every Auroran and American deserves to live and worship without fear.”
Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson of Illinois said: “Every American deserves to worship without fear, and that starts with leaders who lower the temperature instead of raising it. I stand with my colleague @RepRaja, his family, and every Hindu and Indian American family in Illinois.”
Israel’s Consul General in Chicago, Elad Strohmayer, said: “I unequivocally condemn the plot targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora. To the Hindu community in Illinois: we stand firmly with you. Your safety and your freedom to worship matter to us.”
Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, was taken into custody after local law enforcement received information about a potential mass shooting, according to the FBI’s Chicago field office.
–IANS
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