(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Justice Department announced Wednesday that the FBI arrested a man suspected of throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple earlier this month in Salem, Massachusetts.
Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma, was charged with using an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce.
According to the DOJ, surveillance footage shows a man suspected of being Palmer walking towards The Satanic Temple around 4 a.m. on April 8.
The man approached the temple, ignited a pipe bomb—a type of improvised explosive device or “IED”— threw it at TST’s main entrance, and then ran away, the DOJ said in a Wednesday press release. Seconds later, the pipe bomb reportedly partially detonated, causing minor fire and related damage to The Satanic Temple’s exterior.
The DOJ then claimed that “a single human hair was allegedly located on the pipe bomb containing a DNA profile from a Caucasian male.” Charging documents state that the pipe bomb is still being analyzed at an FBI lab. Analysts also located one dark-colored dog hair on the device, and the DOJ noted that Palmer owns a dog with dark hair.
The DOJ further claimed that a note was found at a crime scene.
“DEAR SATANIST, ELOHIM SEND ME 7 MONTHS AGO TO GIVE YOU PEACEFUL MESSAGE TO HOPE YOU REPENT. YOU SAY NO, ELOHIM NOW SEND ME TO SMITE SATAN AND I HAPPY TO OBEY. AND ELOHIM WANT ME TO CONTACT YOU TO TELL YOU REPENT. TURN FROM SIN,” the alleged note stated.
“ELOHIM NO LIKE THIS PLACE AND PLAN TO DESTROY IT. MAYBE SALEM TOO? ELOHIM SEND ME TO FIGHT CRYBABY SATAN, BUT WANT ME TO MAKE HARD EFFORT SO NO ONE DIES. I OBEY.”
Palmer faces at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. He was scheduled for an initial court appearance Thursday.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
