Current:Home > Contact-usMichigan man arrested for planning mass killing at synagogue-LoTradeCoin
Michigan man arrested for planning mass killing at synagogue
View Date:2024-12-23 23:58:59
FBI agents arrested a Michigan man on Friday accused of planning a mass killing at a synagogue in East Lansing, according to federal court documents filed in the Western District of Michigan.
Seann Patrick Pietila discussed the attack on Instagram, court documents said, where he frequently posted anti-semitic remarks about hating Jews and being inspired by the men convicted of two mass shootings in New Zealand and Norway, who shot and killed dozens of people – driven to the murders by religious hatred and far-right extremism.
He was charged with one count of interstate communication of threats and made his first appearance in court on Friday, court records show.
Pietila was arrested and told FBI agents he was the Instagram user behind the posts, court documents said. Investigators allege on his phone, they recovered a note listing Shaarey Zedek – a synagogue located in East Lansing, Michigan – and the date March 15, 2024, an apparent reference to the deadly New Zealand mass shooting that occurred on March 15, 2019.
Accompanying the location and date was a list of equipment including pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, and firearms.
During a search of his home, court documents said FBI agents recovered numerous firearms, including a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition, a .22 caliber rifle, a Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol, and knives, skull masks, and a red and white Nazi flag.
His next hearing is scheduled for June 22, court records said. His public defender did not immediately respond to CBS News' request for comment.
Reporting contributed by Pat Milton and Andy Triay
- In:
- Michigan
Cara Tabachnick is a news editor for CBSNews.com. Contact her at [email protected]
veryGood! (26125)
Related
- Georgia remains part of College Football Playoff bracket projection despite loss
- Angel Reese is not the villain she's been made out to be
- Jennifer Lopez shares message about 'negativity' amid tour cancellation
- No, you probably didn't win a free vacation. Don't let these scams ruin your summer fun
- Trump announces Tom Homan, former director of immigration enforcement, will serve as ‘border czar’
- King Charles III gives thanks to D-Day veterans during event with Prince William, Queen Camilla
- Flavor Flav orders entire Red Lobster menu to save 'one of America's greatest dining dynasties'
- China's lunar probe flies a flag on the far side of the moon, sends samples back toward Earth
- CFP bracket prediction: SEC adds a fifth team to field while a Big Ten unbeaten falls out
- Boeing's Starliner capsule finally launches, carries crew into space for first piloted test flight
Ranking
- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had mild stroke this month, team says
- A look at the key witnesses in Hunter Biden’s federal firearms trial
- Texas county to pay female constable deputies $1.5 million to settle sexual misconduct lawsuit
- Joro spiders are back in the news. Here’s what the experts really think about them
- Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence on Frustrating Robbery Amid Ongoing Investigation
- Lawyer in NBA betting case won’t say whether his client knows now-banned player Jontay Porter
- Lululemon Drops a Clear Version of Its Iconic Belt Bag Just in Time for Summer Concerts
- Flavor Flav orders entire Red Lobster menu to save 'one of America's greatest dining dynasties'
Recommendation
-
Will Trump curb transgender rights? After election, community prepares for worst
-
Clubhouse programs take pressure off overwhelmed Texas mental health hospitals
-
Trump asks to have gag order lifted in New York criminal trial
-
Jake Gyllenhaal Addresses Possible Wedding Plans With Girlfriend Jeanne Cadieu
-
Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
-
Jessie J Discusses Finding Her New Self One Year After Welcoming Son
-
Chicago woman loses baby after teens kicked, punched her in random attack, report says
-
Man arrested in New Orleans for death of toddler in Maine