The suspect in the Saturday arson attack against Jackson’s Beth Israel synagogue laughed when relating his alleged crime to his father, and described the house of worship as “satanic” when admitting his actions to authorities, according to an FBI affidavit and a US Justice Department press release.
Madison, Mississippi resident Stephen Spencer Pittman is accused of having used an axe to break a window in Jackson’s only synagogue before dawn, then entering to pour gasoline inside and set the house of worship ablaze.
The 19-year-old suspect reportedly set himself on fire during the act and suffered burns to his ankles, hands, and face. During the incident, Pittman reportedly left a hand torch and a cellphone at the synagogue.
Before and after the alleged crime, the suspect communicated with his father regarding his intentions and actions. Pittman ignored his father’s pleas to return home and allegedly told his father that he was due for a “home run.” When confronted at home by his father, Pittman purportedly laughed while recounting the crime and added that he “finally got them.”
Pittman’s father contacted the FBI about the confession, and law enforcement corroborated the report with GPS data and the text conversation.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a Monday statement that Pittman was admitted to the University of Mississippi Medical Center for non-life-threatening burn injuries and was taken into custody there.
After being arrested, Pittman allegedly described to law enforcement how he had conducted his arson in what he termed the “synagogue of Satan.”
Pittman is being charged with arson, but Reeves said that additional charges may be leveled depending on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
According to social media accounts that align with the suspect’s personal details, he is a student athlete who was accepted to play baseball at Coahoma Community College in 2023.
As per the US Justice Department and Reeves, the fire, smoke, and water damage significantly damaged the synagogue, rendering it inoperable for an indefinite period.
Southern Jewish Life Magazine reported that the library was reportedly charred, and two Torah scrolls held there were destroyed. The sanctuary was undamaged, and other Torah scrolls were removed for safekeeping.
Bondi seeks severe penalties for synagogue arson
US Attorney-General Pam Bondi said in a statement that she directed prosecutors to seek “severe penalties for this heinous act.”
“This disgusting act of antisemitic violence has no place in our country, and unlike the prior administration, this Department of Justice will not let antisemitism fester and flourish,” said Bondi.
FBI director Kash Patel assured the American Jewish community that the agency would not waver from its duty to protect them from antisemitic attacks. “Every American has a fundamental right to live and worship free from violence and fear,” he said.
Reeves said that the state would stand with the members of the congregation. “This heinous act will never be tolerated, and the perpetrator should face the full and solemn weight of their actions.”
The congregation has a history of being targeted by antisemitic violence. According to its website, the congregation was founded in 1860 and established the state’s first synagogue in a wooden schoolhouse. The schoolhouse burned down in 1874 and was replaced with a brick building, which remained in use until 1940, when it moved to a new site on Woodrow Wilson Avenue.
The Woodrow Wilson Avenue site was bombed by local Ku Klux Klan members in 1967, and the rabbi’s home was bombed by the same group two months later, though no one was harmed.
The congregation moved to its current location on Old Canton Road in the same year, serving as the city’s sole synagogue ever since. The synagogue also houses the offices of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life.
This organization said on Facebook that it will be unable to operate in the building for the time being.
The Beth Israel Congregation has launched a fundraising effort to rebuild the synagogue.