Suspect identified in arson attack on historic Mississippi synagogue - National & International News - MON 12Jan2026 -

Police have identified a suspect in the arson attack on a historic synagogue in Jackson this weekend. FBI says father turned him in.

Suspect in Mississippi synagogue fire identified

Around 3 A.M. Saturday morning, the Beth Israel Synagogue in Jackson, MS, was broken into and set ablaze, with gasoline used as an accelerant. The fire did extensive damage to the interior of the building. Perhaps the most dismaying loss for the congregants was the destruction of two sacred Torah scrolls.

Police have identified the suspect as 19-year-old Stephen Spencer Pittman of Madison, MS. According to court documents, during the arson attack, Pittman was texting with his father. During the exchange Pittman reportedly sent a picture of the blaze saying “there’s a furnace in the back”. When Pittman’s father pleaded with him to come home, Pittman replied that he was due for a homerun and “I did my research”. A scorched phone believed to belong to Pittman was found inside the synagogue.

After the fire, Pittman allegedly drove himself to a hospital to treat burns he had suffered from the fire. The burns made his father suspicious that Pittman himself was responsible for the blaze and prompted him to tip off the FBI. Pittman has not yet been charged with a hate crime, but it remains a possibility.

During an interview with police, court documents allege that Pittman referred to the house of worship as the “synagogue of Satan”. Authorities claim Pittman targeted the synagogue due to its “Jewish ties”.

According to Mississippi Today, Pittman graduated from a Catholic high school and played baseball for Coahoma Community College. The Catholic Diocese of Jackson issued a statement strongly condemning the attack and expressing solidarity with Jackson’s Jewish community.

Zach Shemper, the Beth Israel Congregation president, says they have started a fund to rebuild the synagogue. Beth Israel was previously burned in 1967 by the Ku Klux Klan because of their rabbi’s advocacy for civil rights.