Mississippi Synagogue Arson: Suspect Admitted Targeting Building for Its 'Jewish Ties,' FBI Says
FBI says 19-year-old Stephen Spencer Pittman confessed to setting fire at Beth Israel synagogue in Jackson, citing the building's 'Jewish ties'; Torahs were destroyed Saturday.
Overview
Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, allegedly set fire at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday; no congregants or firefighters were injured.
Security footage shows a masked, hooded person pouring gasoline in the lobby; Pittman reportedly broke a window with an ax, removed his license plate and used a torch lighter to ignite the blaze.
Pittman's father alerted the FBI after noticing burn marks and receiving texts and a photo of the synagogue's rear; location-sharing data and a burned cellphone corroborated his son's confession.
The fire gutted the library and administrative offices, destroying two Torahs and damaging others; Beth Israel, founded circa 1860, was previously bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967.
Pittman was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by fire; local leaders condemned the attack as antisemitic and Mayor John Horhn called it an act of terror.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the fire as a deliberate antisemitic attack and part of a broader rise in hate incidents, emphasizing motive and community impact by foregrounding the suspect’s alleged confession, historical KKK bombings at the same synagogue, officials’ condemnations, and ADL statistics, which together present a narrative of targeted religious violence.
Sources (18)
FAQ
Pittman confessed to setting the fire due to the building's 'Jewish ties' and referred to it as the 'synagogue of Satan.'
The fire gutted the library and administrative offices, destroying two Torahs, damaging others, and rendering the building inoperable for services.
Pittman's father alerted the FBI after noticing burn marks on his son, receiving texts and a photo of the synagogue; location data and a burned cellphone corroborated the confession, leading to his custody after self-admission to a hospital with burns.
Beth Israel, founded around 1860, is one of Mississippi's oldest Jewish institutions and was previously bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in 1967.
Pittman was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by fire, and arson of property used in interstate commerce; additional state charges are pending.
History
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