A tip from a coworker helped thwart an alleged mass shooting plot targeting a Hindu temple in the western suburbs, authorities said Thursday, with law enforcement praising a  single, courageous individual  whose report led to the arrest of a 19-year-old Palatine man accused of planning the attack.

 The public remains law enforcement's greatest asset in disrupting acts of violence,  FBI Chicago Field Office acting special agent in charge Lucas Rothaar said during a news conference Thursday.  I want to praise and offer my personal, sincerest thanks to the individual who stepped forward in many successful disruptions by law enforcement and potential acts of violence or terrorism attacks. It is a single, courageous member of the public who comes forward to prevent attacks. 

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Rothaar, along with members of the Palatine Police Department, said Thursday that 19-year-old Alexandros Paporakis, of Palatine, drove to a well-known Hindu temple in Aurora with the intent to open fire. After his rifle malfunctioned, he drove back home, police said.

A concerned coworker reported to Mount Prospect Police that they had received suspicious communications that day from Paporakis, leading law enforcement to obtain a search warrant and arrest Paporakis before he could return to the scene.

 I think we were very fortunate that something much, much worse did not happen,  Palatine Chief of Police Bill Nord said.

After the tip, police said they identified a red Acura registered to Paporakis. Surveillance video showed the suspect in the car, entering the parking lot at the Hindu temple at 12:25 p.m. and then exiting three minutes later.

Paporakis was then observed driving to his residence in Palatine, near Rand Road, where he lived with his mother, police said. After obtaining a search warrant, police found a rifle, a loaded magazine, hundreds of rounds of rifle ammunition and other tactical gear in Paporakis' possession.

Police also found what they described as an eight-page manifesto, which revealed Paporakis had been planning the attack f
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