Hours before a devastating arson attack at Mississippi’s oldest synagogue, the 19-year-old suspect posted an anti-Semitic meme on Instagram, according to an account that appeared to belong to him.
Stephen Spencer Pittman, identified by the FBI as the person responsible for a fire at Beth Israel Synagogue in Jackson early Saturday morning, struck the historic monument, severely scorching its walls and forcing its indefinite closure, according to an FBI criminal complaint. “Due to the building’s association with Jews,” an FBI criminal complaint states.
The 19-year-old was arrested that night at a hospital and charged with “arson of property used in or affecting interstate commerce,” according to the indictment filed Monday, after his father called the bureau and said his son confessed to him. The U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release that if convicted, Pittman could face 5 to 20 years in prison.
CNN has reached out to Pittman’s family and attorney for comment.
Here’s what we know about the teen:
an academically gifted baseball player
As a student, Pittman excelled. He earned multiple honors as a high school student at St. Joseph Catholic School in nearby Madison, and his achievements in college earned him a spot on the National Junior College Athletic Association All-Academic Team, which honors student-athletes for their academic promise.
“The defendant’s actions were senseless, reprehensible and completely inconsistent with the values taught by the Catholic Church and upheld by our Catholic schools,” the high school told CNN on Tuesday, referring to its former student, without mentioning Pittman by name. The school said it stands with Beth Israel Congregation and the Jewish community.
Synagogue arson suspect Stephen Spencer Pittman was a recognized student-athlete in high school and later played baseball in college. – from Coahoma Community College
After high school, Pittman attended Coahoma Community College in northwest Mississippi and played baseball, Valmadge T. Towner, the college’s president, told CNN.
“We condemn hate crimes and violence in all forms,” Towner wrote in a statement.
A January 2025 Facebook post from the college described the suspect as a freshman outfielder majoring in biology.
What technology and social media tell us
Surveillance video from inside the building showed a person wearing a hooded sweatshirt and holding a gasoline container starting the fire early Saturday, the complaint said.
While in the building, Pittman sent his father a photo of the back of the Beth Israel congregation with the following messages: “There’s a stove in the back,” “My plate is gone by the way,” “Hoodie on,” and “They have the best cameras,” the complaint states.
Pittman’s father pleaded with him via text message to come home, but Pittman responded that he should hit a “home run” and that “I did my research.”
Later that day, his father saw Pittman suffering burns to his ankles, hands and face, the complaint states. Before speaking with authorities, Pittman laughed and told his father that he broke a window in the Beth Israel Congregation building, got inside and lit it on fire, the criminal complaint said, noting that Pittman told his father “he finally found them.”
According to the Justice Department, Pittman acted alone.
The FBI found a burned cellphone at the synagogue, believed to be Pittman’s, along with a flashlight. Data from Life360, an app that provides real-time GPS tracking, showed Pittman traveling from his home in Madison County, stopping at a gas station in Richland, north of Jackson, before heading to the synagogue, the complaint said.
Fire ripped through Beth Israel Congregation, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday. – Beth Israel Congregation
Hours before the incident, a post on an Instagram account that appeared to belong to Pittman showed a clip of a cartoon similar to the anti-Semitic meme “Happy Businessman.” According to the Anti-Defamation League, the meme depicts a Jewish man with “seriously stereotypical characteristics” as a greedy person.
Pittman’s social media bio describes him as a “Christ follower” and a “fitness/high motivation coach” who can “help you crush, boost testosterone, motivation and discipline.”
In Instagram posts and the website he signed up for, Pittman quoted Bible verses and promised to help clients achieve “faith-based transformation.”
Pitman was found at a local hospital with non-life-threatening burns, said Charles Felton, chief of investigations for the Jackson Fire Department’s Arson Investigation Division.
Pittman appeared in federal court Monday via video conference call from his hospital bed, his hands visibly bandaged, the Associated Press reported. “Jesus Christ is Lord,” Pittman said when he was read his rights at the hearing, according to media reports.
CNN’s Zoe Sottile and Martin Goillandeau contributed to this report.
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