A suspect in a historic Mississippi synagogue fire has been identified as a man who admitted to committing the act "out of hatred for the Jewish people," according to an FBI complaint filed on Monday. Stephen Spencer Pittman, 39, was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive after setting fire to Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, over the weekend.
Security footage shows Pittman entering the synagogue around 3 a.m. on Saturday, pouring gasoline, and then starting a fire using a torch lighter. The FBI complaint alleges that Pittman's father reached out to authorities, saying his son had confessed to the crime, which was later corroborated by location-sharing app data on Pittman's phone.
Pittman is quoted in the complaint as telling his father that he "finally got them" after starting the fire. His father had previously confronted him about the incident after noticing burns on his ankles, and Pittman admitted to committing the act while saying it was out of hatred for Jewish people.
The synagogue, which has been a part of Jackson's community for over 160 years, was damaged in the attack but remains standing. Five Torahs were assessed for damage, with two destroyed inside the library. One Torah rescued during the Holocaust and kept behind glass was undamaged.
The attack on Beth Israel comes amid a nationwide spike in antisemitism, with an 893% increase in antisemitic incidents over the past decade, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The incident has sparked condemnation from local officials, including Jackson Mayor John Horhn, who described the act as "acts of terror against residents."
The congregation remains resilient, with President Zach Shemper saying that they will continue their worship services and programs despite the attack. Several churches have offered their spaces for worship, and the community is coming together to support each other.
The FBI is investigating the incident, which has been described as a hate crime. Pittman's father has apologized for his son's actions, stating that he was "so sorry" for what happened.
Security footage shows Pittman entering the synagogue around 3 a.m. on Saturday, pouring gasoline, and then starting a fire using a torch lighter. The FBI complaint alleges that Pittman's father reached out to authorities, saying his son had confessed to the crime, which was later corroborated by location-sharing app data on Pittman's phone.
Pittman is quoted in the complaint as telling his father that he "finally got them" after starting the fire. His father had previously confronted him about the incident after noticing burns on his ankles, and Pittman admitted to committing the act while saying it was out of hatred for Jewish people.
The synagogue, which has been a part of Jackson's community for over 160 years, was damaged in the attack but remains standing. Five Torahs were assessed for damage, with two destroyed inside the library. One Torah rescued during the Holocaust and kept behind glass was undamaged.
The attack on Beth Israel comes amid a nationwide spike in antisemitism, with an 893% increase in antisemitic incidents over the past decade, according to the Anti-Defamation League. The incident has sparked condemnation from local officials, including Jackson Mayor John Horhn, who described the act as "acts of terror against residents."
The congregation remains resilient, with President Zach Shemper saying that they will continue their worship services and programs despite the attack. Several churches have offered their spaces for worship, and the community is coming together to support each other.
The FBI is investigating the incident, which has been described as a hate crime. Pittman's father has apologized for his son's actions, stating that he was "so sorry" for what happened.
my kid can't even be in school without worrying about some crazy person trying to hurt ppl just bc of their faith... and it's not like they're asking for it or anything, it's just that there are some seriously messed up ppl out there who think it's ok to spread hate & violence 
i mean what would make someone think this is a good idea? pouring gas on a place of worship & setting fire to it... it's literally the most sick thing i've ever heard 
and now ppl have to deal with the trauma & emotional pain of having their home turned into a war zone 
we need to take care of each other & support each other more than ever, especially in times like these 
. I mean, the guy reaches out to authorities after noticing burns on his son's ankles, but what if he was just trying to cover up something? Like, what if he knew about the fire and didn't say anything earlier? And Pittman admitting to the crime like that, it's so twisted... 
.
This whole thing is just horrific 
. It's crazy to think that this attack is part of a national trend with a huge spike in antisemitism over the past decade 
. I'm so glad the synagogue still stands, though 
, but 2 torahs got destroyed... it's just heartbreaking 
. And btw, can we please talk about how hard it is for ppl who have experienced hate crimes like this? 
It's not okay, but we need to be more understanding & supportive 
.
It's just sickening I mean, 893% increase in antisemitic incidents over the past decade and this is just another example of how messed up things have gotten.
That's some pretty basic hate crime stuff right there. And the fact that his father apologized for his son's actions, saying he was "so sorry" for what happened... it just makes me want to scream.
and the community is coming together to support each other. It's like they're trying to show the world that hate won't win. But honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing and I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully understand why someone would do something so heinous.
The community is coming together to support each other, which is beautiful, but I wish this never had to happen in the first place. 
. its soooo sad that ppl stil do this kinda stuff. i feel 4 the jewish community, they shud b safe n sound 
. u would think he'd be all about embracin his son's antisemitic ways 
. but nope, he just wanna make it right 
. good on him imo 
and its not just the ppl affected at the synagogue but the community that's been left shaken 
we gotta do better as a society to promote acceptance & understanding 
39-year-old dude gets caught setting fire to synagogue because of hatred for Jewish people... like what's next? 
is gonna set fire to the library or something? 