An honor roll student and baseball player: What we know about the teen who set fire to the oldest synagogue in Mississippi
By Alisha Ebrahimji, Caroll Alvarado, CNN
(CNN) — Hours before a destructive arson fire at the oldest synagogue in Mississippi, the 19-year-old suspect posted an antisemitic meme on Instagram, an account that appears to belong to him shows.
Stephen Spencer Pittman, identified by the FBI as the person responsible for an early-morning fire Saturday at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, attacked the historic site – leaving its walls severely charred and forcing it to close indefinitely – “due to (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 bureau, saying his son confessed to him, the complaint filed Monday said. If convicted, Pittman could face between five and 20 years in prison, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
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 was a high achiever. He made honor roll in high school at St. Joseph Catholic School in nearby Madison more than once and his grades in college 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 individual are senseless, reprehensible, and wholly incompatible with the values taught by the Catholic Church and upheld in our Catholic schools,” the high school told CNN on Tuesday of its former student, without mentioning Pittman by name. The school said it stands in solidarity with Beth Israel Congregation and the Jewish community.
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 made by the college in January 2025 described the suspect as a freshman outfielder majoring in biology.
What technology and social media tells us
Surveillance footage from inside the building shows the fire was started early Saturday by someone in a hooded sweatshirt holding a gasoline container, the complaint says.
While at the building, Pittman texted his father a photo of the back of Beth Israel Congregation with the following messages: “There’s a furnace in the back,” “Btw my plate is off,” “Hoodie is on,” and “And they have the best cameras,” according to the complaint.
Over text, Pittman’s father pleaded for him to return home but the teen replied he was due for a “homerun” and “I did my research.”
Later in the day, his father saw burns on Pittman’s ankles, hands and face, the complaint says. Before talking to authorities, Pittman told his father through laughter that he broke a window of the Beth Israel Congregation building, went inside and lit it on fire, the criminal complaint says, noting Pittman told his father “he finally got them.”
Pittman acted alone, according to the DOJ.
The FBI found a burned cell phone at the synagogue it believes is Pittman’s, as well as a hand torch. 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.
Hours before the incident, a post on an Instagram account that appears to belong to Pittman shows a video clip of a caricature resembling the antisemitic meme “The Happy Merchant.” The meme depicts a Jewish man with “heavily 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 Drive Coach” who can “help you get shredded, boost testosterone, drive, & discipline.”
On Instagram posts and a website registered to him, Pittman references Bible verses and promises to help clients achieve a “faith-based transformation.”
Pittman was found at a local hospital with non-life-threatening burn injuries, said Charles Felton, chief of investigations for the Jackson Fire Department’s Arson Investigation Division.
Monday, Pittman appeared in federal court via video conference call from a hospital bed with his hands visibly bandaged, The Associated Press reported. When read his rights at the hearing, Pittman said, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” the outlet reported.
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CNN’s Zoe Sottile and Martin Goillandeau contributed to this report.
