Foiled temple attack shows troubling pattern, vigilance needed: US Hindu body. US-based Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC) has condemned the actions of 19-year-old Alexandros Paporakis, who was arrested over an alleged mass shooting plot targeting a temple in Illinois. HMEC warned of a "troubling pattern of threats directed at Hindu places of worship" and urged devotees to remain vigilant. It added that every devotee should be able to worship "without fear".