Hours before a devastating arson attack at Mississippi’s oldest synagogue, the 19-year-old suspect posted an anti-Semitic meme on Instagram, an account that appears to belong to him shows.
Stephen Spencer Pittman, identified by the FBI as the person responsible for a Saturday morning fire at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, attacked the historic site — leaving its walls badly charred and forcing it to close indefinitely — “because of the building’s Jewish ties,” according to an FBI criminal complaint.
By evening, the 19-year-old was arrested at a hospital and charged with “arson of property used in interstate commerce or used in an activity affecting interstate commerce” after his father called the office, saying his son had confessed to him, the complaint filed Monday said. If convicted, Pittman could face between five and 20 years in prison, the Justice Department said in a news release.
CNN has reached out to Pittman’s family and attorney for comment.
Here’s what we know about the teenager:
An academically gifted baseball player
As a student, Pittman performed very well. He made the high school honor roll at St. Joseph Catholic School near Madison several times, and his college grades earned him a spot on a National Junior College Athletic Association All-Academic Team, which recognizes student athletes for their academic commitment.
“The actions attributed to the accused are senseless, reprehensible and completely inconsistent with the values taught by the Catholic Church and upheld in our Catholic schools,” the high school told CNN Tuesday of its former student, without naming Pittman. The school said it stands in solidarity with Congregation Beth Israel and the Jewish community.
The synagogue arson suspect, Stephen Spencer Pittman, was a standout student-athlete in high school before playing baseball in college. – From Coahoma Community College
After high school, Pittman attended and played baseball at Coahoma Community College in northwest Mississippi, its president, Valmadge T. Towner, told CNN.
“We condemn hate crimes and acts of violence in all forms,” Towner wrote in a statement.
A Facebook post by the college in January 2025 described the suspect as a freshman player majoring in biology.
What technology and social media tell us
Surveillance footage from inside the building shows the fire was started Saturday morning by someone in a hooded sweatshirt holding a gasoline can, the complaint states.
While in the building, Pittman texted his father a photo of the back of Congregation Beth Israel with the following messages: “There’s an oven in the back,” “Btw my plate is off,” “Hourash is on” and “And they have the best rooms,” according to the complaint.
In the text, Pittman’s father asked him to return home, but the teenager replied that he had to hit a “homerun” and “I did my research.”
Later in the day, his father saw burns on Pittman’s ankles, hands and face, the complaint said. Before speaking with authorities, Pittman laughingly told his father that he broke a window of the Congregation Beth Israel building, went inside and set it on fire, the criminal complaint said, noting that Pittman told his father he “finally got it.”
Pittman acted alone, according to the DOJ.
The FBI found a burned cell phone at the synagogue that they believe belonged to Pittman, as well as a flashlight. Data from Life360, an app that provides real-time GPS tracking, shows Pittman traveled from his home in Madison County and stopped at a gas station in Ridgeland — just north of Jackson — before going to the synagogue, according to the complaint.
Fire tore through Beth Israel, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, on Saturday. – Congregation Beth Israel
Hours before the incident, a post on an Instagram account that appears to belong to Pittman shows a video clip with a caricature similar to the anti-Semitic meme “The Happy Merchant.” The meme depicts a Jewish man with “strongly stereotyped features” as greedy, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Pittman’s social media bios describe him as a “follower of Christ” and a “fitness/high performance coach” who can “help you shred, boost testosterone, lead and discipline.”
In Instagram posts and a website registered to him, Pittman references Bible verses and promises to help clients make a “faith-based transformation.”
Pittman was found at a local hospital with non-life-threatening burns, said Charles Felton, chief of investigations for the Jackson Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Division.
On Monday, Pittman appeared in federal court via video conference call from a hospital bed, his hands visibly bandaged, the Associated Press reported. When read his rights at the hearing, Pittman said, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” the media reported.
CNN’s Zoe Sottile and Martin Goillandeau contributed to this report.
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