Suspect targeted historic Mississippi synagogue in arson, FBI says...

JACKSON, Mississippi − A suspect connected to the alleged arson at a historic synagogue told federal authorities that he lit the fire due to "the building's Jewish ties," according to a federal affidavit filed Jan. 12. The affidavit identifies the suspect in the blaze at Beth Israel Congregation synagogue as Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19. A criminal complaint states that he is charged with arson of property used in interstate commerce. A Jan. 12 news release from Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said that more charges could be filed pending the ultimate outcome of the investigation. In an interview with law enforcement on the day of the fire, Pittman referred to the synagogue as the "synagogue of Satan" and that he told his father "he finally got them," the affidavit says. The fire occurred around 3 a.m. Jan. 10, at the historic synagogue. Security camera footage released later by the synagogue showed a masked and hooded person, now alleged to be Pittman, using a gas container to pour a liquid on the floor and a couch in the building's lobby. The Jackson Fire Department responded and was able to contain and extinguish the blaze. No injuries were reported. An administrative office and library were charred in the fire, according to multiple reports, and several Torahs, Jewish holy texts rolled into large scrolls, were ruined or damaged. USA TODAY has reached out to lawyers listed as representing Pittman for comment Jan. 12. Mayor calls fire at Mississippi synagogue 'religious hatred' Father pleaded for son to stop during alleged arson Authorities allege in the affidavit that Pittman traveled from his residence in Madison County, about 30 miles north of Jackson, and stopped at Mac's Gas on Highway 51 in Ridgeland to purchase the gas used for the fire. The affidavit states he took his license plate off at the gas station before heading to the synagogue. After arriving, Pittman allegedly texted his father – identified in court records only by his initials – a photo of the rear of the Beth Israel building. "'There's a furnace in the back,'" messages seen on a phone in the affidavit read. 'BTW, my plate is off,' 'Hoodie is on,' and 'And they have the best cameras.'" The affidavit states his father pleaded with his son to return home, but Pittman replied by saying "he was due for a homerun and 'I did my research.'" Pittman played baseball in high school and at a junior college. Once at the synagogue, Pittman used an axe to break a window out of the building, poured the gas inside the building and used a torch lighter to start the fire – according to the affidavit. Father alerts authorities The affidavit states that, later on Jan. 10, Pittman's father observed burns on his son's ankles, hands and face. The father then confronted his son about what happened that morning and Pittman allegedly confessed to the crime. "Pittman laughed as he told his father what he did and said he finally got them," the affidavit reads. The father then contacted the FBI and said that his son confessed to setting the building on fire, according to the affidavit. Data on Pittman's cell phone and the burn marks on Pittman's body corroborated that information, the affidavit states. The FBI later recovered a burned cell phone believed to be Pittman's, and recovered a hand torch a member of the congregation found and turned over to authorities. The statement from Gov. Reeves said that Pittman was self-admitted into the University of Mississippi Medical Center with non-life-threatening burn injuries and subsequently taken into custody. Who is Stephen Spencer Pittman? Pittman was a former student and baseball player at St. Joseph Catholic School in Madison and a baseball player at Coahoma Community College. The Catholic Diocese of Jackson confirmed his attendance to the Clarion Ledger – a part of the USA TODAY Network – and stated the actions attributed to Pittman are "senseless, reprehensible, and wholly incompatible with the values taught by the Catholic Church and upheld in our Catholic schools." Pittman announced his commitment in 2023 to play baseball at Coahoma Community College. Coahoma is a public historically Black community college, though many of its baseball players are white. Pittman no longer has a biography page on the college's baseball roster and searches for it result in a 404 error. He is not listed as having recorded any statistics, though his Instagram shows images of him playing for the school. Fire took place at historic synagogue Beth Israel is Jackson's oldest synagogue, dating to before the U.S. Civil War. Nearly 60 years ago, the Ku Klux Klan bombed both the temple’s office and former Rabbi Perry Nussbaum's home in November of 1967. No one was killed during that incident. “Mississippi stands with the members of Beth Israel Congregation,” Reeves said in the news release. “This heinous act will never be tolerated, and the perpetrator should face the full and solemn weight of their actions."