(JTA) — The suspect arrested for allegedly setting fire to a Mississippi synagogue on Saturday, Jan. 10 confessed to the FBI that he had targeted the congregation due to its “Jewish ties.”
Stephen Spencer Pittman was charged on Monday, Jan. 12 with maliciously damaging or destroying a building by means of fire or an explosive, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Mississippi.
The blaze, which tore through the Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, early in the morning on Jan. 10, destroyed two of the synagogue’s Torahs as well as its library and offices. Several other Torahs belonging to the congregation were damaged, though no injuries were reported.
The Reform synagogue serves as the religious and communal center for the city’s small Jewish population.
No congregants or first responders were injured in the fire, and investigators quickly ruled out accidental causes. The department’s arson investigation division, working with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, determined the blaze was deliberately set.
During an interview with the FBI and local law enforcement, Pittman confessed that he had set fire to the synagogue, which he referred to as a “synagogue of Satan,” according to the affidavit.
According to social media accounts that appeared to belong to Pittman, he is originally from Madison, Mississippi, and is a baseball player at Coahoma Community College. (A student athlete profile for Pittman has since been deleted from the school’s athletics page.)
An X account that appeared to belong to Pittman featured a link to a website that promotes “Scripture-backed fitness” as well as a Bible quote that read, “In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
Pittman told the FBI that he had stopped at a gas station on his way to the synagogue to purchase the gas used in the fire, removed his license plates, broken a window in the building with an ax to gain entry, and used a torch lighter to start the fire. The FBI discovered a cell phone and hand torch believed to belong to Pittman at the scene.
Zach Shemper, the president of Beth Israel Congregation, told CNN that he had been told by law enforcement that “the perpetrator had been posting antisemitic comments on social media.”
On Saturday, Jan. 10, Pittman’s father reported his son’s alleged arson to police after his son texted him photos of the building along with messages including, “There’s a furnace in the back,” “Btw my plate is off,” “Hoodie is on,” and “And they have the best cameras.”
After Pittman’s father pleaded with him to return home, Pittman replied that he was due for “a home run” and “I did my research.” The following morning, Pittman allegedly laughed as he told his father about the arson attack and said, “he finally got them,” according to the affidavit.
Surveillance footage obtained by the FBI from within the synagogue showed the suspect appearing to pour the contents of a gas container on its floor before setting the building ablaze, according to the affidavit.
Prior to the affidavit’s publication, several Jewish leaders and politicians were quick to label the arson attack as antisemitic.
“A historic synagogue was burned. Sacred Torahs destroyed. We are thankful no one was injured, but this wasn’t random vandalism — it was a deliberate, targeted attack on the Jewish community,” wrote Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, in a post on X Sunday, Jan. 11. “An attack on any synagogue is an attack on all Jews. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silent.”
Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism under President Joe Biden, wrote in a post on X that the incident was a “major tragedy,” adding, “But it’s more than that. It’s an arson attack and another step in the globalization of the intifada.”
Other politicians and Jewish leaders who labeled the attack as antisemitic included New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, former NYC mayor Eric Adams, New York Jewish Sen. Chuck Schumer, Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott, and Israeli Ambassador to the United Nation Danny Danon.
“Acts of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as acts of terror against residents’ safety and freedom to worship,” Jackson Mayor John Horhn said, condemning the fire and pledging support for the synagogue and the broader community.
Beth Israel history reflects both resilience and vulnerability. Organized in 1860, it is one of the oldest Jewish institutions in Mississippi. In 1967, members of the Ku Klux Klan bombed the synagogue in retaliation for civil-rights advocacy of the rabbi at the time, Perry Nussbaum, damaging the office and library but causing no injuries. That bombing and later intimidation efforts, including an attack on Nussbaum’s home, remain a defining chapter in the congregation’s history.
“We are devastated but ready to rebuild, and we are so appreciative of the outreach from the community,” said Michele Schipper, CEO of the Institute of Southern Jewish Life and past president of Beth Israel. The Institute, whose offices are in the same building, said local Christian and interfaith partners have reached out to offer support.
Services have been suspended indefinitely, and leaders say the congregation will work with local partners to find temporary space for worship and community events.
If convicted, Pittman faces five to 20 years in federal prison.