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Prosecutors have identified the 19-year-old man charged with arson for setting a fire in Jackson, Mississippi's only synagogue, Beth Israel Congregation. Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Shamira Muhammad has this report.
SHAMIRA MUHAMMAD, BYLINE: Stephen Spencer Pittman made his initial appearance in U.S. District Federal Court Monday via video conference. He laid in a hospital bed as he was read his rights. According to court documents, Pittman told the FBI he lit the fire because of the building's Jewish ties, calling it a, quote, "synagogue of Satan." The synagogue security cameras show he broke into the building and doused rooms with gasoline. Fire investigators determined the fire was intentionally set - they found a torch. Zach Shemper is the president of the Beth Israel Congregation.
ZACH SHEMPER: You can do as many preventive measures as you want to, but if somebody wants to hurt a person or a people, they're always going to figure out a way.
MUHAMMAD: The affidavit says an app showed Pittman traveling from his home and stopping to buy gasoline before heading to the synagogue. Pittman texted his father from outside the building. When he was confronted about burns on his ankles, hands and face, he laughed. The father, who hasn't been fully identified, contacted the FBI. The building was not completely destroyed, but the synagogue's library was left burned beyond recognition. A Torah that survived the Holocaust was saved by a glass container. The judge asked Pittman if he understood his rights during the initial hearing. He responded, yes, sir, Jesus Christ is Lord. NPR was unable to reach the public defender listed in the affidavit for comment. Reverend Les Hegwood is with St. Philip's Episcopal Church, a church directly across the street from the temple that supported the synagogue when it was firebombed in 1967.
LES HEGWOOD: First thing was offer our prayers of support for that community, and then our facility.
MUHAMMAD: On Monday, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said in a statement, this heinous act will never be tolerated, and the perpetrators should face the full and solemn weight of their actions. Pittman was an honor student at a Catholic school in the Jackson area. He also attended a community college where he played baseball. State charges remain pending, and additional federal charges may be forthcoming. Pittman is due in court next week.
For NPR News, I'm Shamira Muhammad in Jackson, Mississippi.
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