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Mississippi Teen Charged in Synagogue Arson as State Hate-Crime Case Goes to Grand Jury

Investigators say an antisemitic motive underlies a blaze that devastated the congregation’s library, offices, Torahs.

Damage to Beth Israel Congregation sustained after a fire on Jan. 10, 2026, in Jackson, Miss.
A surveillance camera inside a Jackson, Mississippi synagogue captured the moments Spencer Pittman poured liquid from a canister inside.The videos, shared with CNN by Beth Israel Congregation, were captured in the early morning hours on Saturday and show Pittman carrying a canister and pouring liquid throughout. Some of the liquid appears to drip on the persons clothing as well.
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Overview

  • Local prosecutors have sent a first-degree arson charge with a hate-crime enhancement to a Hinds County grand jury.
  • Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, remains in federal custody on an 18 U.S.C. 844(i) arson charge that carries a potential 5–20 year sentence if convicted.
  • Authorities say he broke a window with an ax, poured gasoline, and used a hand torch; surveillance footage, Life360 data, a burned phone, injuries, and a confession to his father are cited as evidence.
  • Officials report he targeted Beth Israel for its Jewish ties, called it a “synagogue of Satan,” and an Instagram account appearing to be his posted an antisemitic meme hours before the fire.
  • The blaze destroyed the synagogue’s library and offices and damaged ritual objects and Torahs, while the congregation holds services in local churches and begins recovery planning.