A young man, accused of setting a synagogue on fire in Mississippi, posted a disturbing selfie showcasing his severe burns just hours after the incident.
Steven Pittman, 19, shared the shocking image on Snapchat on a Saturday, the same day when Congregation Beth Israel in Jackson was engulfed in flames during the early morning hours. The incident has been reported widely.
In the photo, Pittman displayed his swollen, severely burned left hand, his face marked with pink burn injuries, revealing a look of confusion.
It’s not clear if Pittman had been taken into custody when he posted the selfie. However, he was arrested later that day after his father discovered him with burns and, reportedly, Pittman confessed to committing the act.
Surveillance footage showed a masked individual pouring gasoline in the synagogue’s lobby and hallway, leading to significant damage.
The fire resulted in the destruction of the synagogue’s library and administrative offices, along with some important Torah documents, although thankfully, the rest of the structure remained intact and no one was injured.
Pittman was brought to police by his father and has since allegedly confessed after being taken into custody.
According to an FBI affidavit, Pittman referred to Beth Israel as “Satan’s synagogue” during questioning by investigators.
He not only admitted to setting the synagogue ablaze due to its “Jewish connections” but also reportedly sent his father images from the crime scene.
“Pittman laughed and told his father what he had done and that he had finally gotten it,” the affidavit details.
Pittman’s cellphone was also recovered from the scene.
This attack adds to a troubling history for Beth Israel. The synagogue, established in 1860, relocated to its current site in 1967, the same year when local Ku Klux Klansmen bombed the building in response to the rabbi’s strong pro-civil rights stance.
Pittman faces charges of malicious damage to a building by arson.
