A 19-year-old suspect, Stephen Pittman, who allegedly set fire to a Mississippi synagogue previously targeted by the Ku Klux Klan, reportedly admitted his actions were motivated by the building’s Jewish identity. The FBI disclosed that Pittman confessed with laughter to his father, leading to his arrest.
Pittman faces federal charges for intentionally damaging or destroying a structure with fire or explosives, following the arson incident at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson over the weekend.
In an affidavit from the FBI, Pittman confessed to igniting the blaze within the synagogue, derogatorily dubbing it “the synagogue of Satan.” Pittman’s father alerted authorities after noticing burns on his son’s body and hearing him admit to the crime.
The FBI document, as reported by WLBT-TV, noted that Pittman chuckled while recounting the incident to his father, claiming, “he finally got them.”
This image, courtesy of Beth Israel Congregation, depicts the aftermath of the fire on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at the Jackson, Mississippi synagogue. (Photo provided by Beth Israel Congregation via AP)
Appearing for the first time in U.S. District Court on Monday, Pittman participated via video from a hospital bed, both hands heavily bandaged. A public defender has been assigned to his case.
Prosecutors said Pittman faces five to 20 years in prison if convicted. When the judge advised him of his rights, Pittman responded, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”
Services at the synagogue were suspended indefinitely following the fire. (Beth Israel)
Pittman told the judge he is a high school graduate who completed three semesters of college. He is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 20 for a preliminary and detention hearing.
The fire broke out shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday. No congregants or firefighters were injured, but the blaze caused extensive damage to the synagogue’s library and administrative offices.
Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson is the state’s largest synagogue. No congregants were injured, officials said. (Beth Israel)
Security footage released by the congregation shows a masked, hooded individual pouring liquid from a gas can onto the floor and a couch inside the building’s lobby. Investigators said Pittman stopped at a gas station beforehand to buy gasoline and removed his vehicle’s license plate. He allegedly used an ax to break a window, poured fuel inside the synagogue and ignited it with a torch lighter.
The affidavit said Pittman texted his father a photo of the synagogue before the fire, writing, “There’s a furnace in the back.” When his father urged him to come home, Pittman allegedly replied that he was “due for a homerun” and said, “I did my research.”
Investigators later recovered a burned cellphone believed to belong to Pittman and seized a hand torch found by a congregant.
Boards cover the charred remains of the Beth Israel Congregation library, which was set on fire early Saturday morning, on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Jackson, Mississippi. (AP Photo / Sophie Bates)
Five Torah scrolls inside the sanctuary were being evaluated for smoke damage. Two Torahs stored in the synagogue’s library were destroyed. Another Torah that survived the Holocaust was protected behind glass and was not damaged, the congregation said.
The 165-year-old synagogue is the largest one in the state and was previously bombed by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s.
“This news puts a face and name to this tragedy, but does not change our resolve to proudly — even defiantly — continue Jewish life in Jackson in the face of hatred,” Beth Israel Congregation said in a statement.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi that she has directed prosecutors to seek “severe penalties.”
“This disgusting act of anti-Semitic violence has no place in our country, and unlike the prior administration, this Department of Justice will not let anti-Semitism fester and flourish,” Bondi said.
