Stephen Spencer Pittman, a 19-year-old honor student and baseball player, confessed to setting fire to Mississippi's oldest synagogue, Beth Israel Congregation, in Jackson early Saturday morning. The FBI identified Pittman as the suspect, who allegedly stated his motive was the building's Jewish ties, hours after posting an antisemitic meme on Instagram. Pittman's father alerted authorities after his son confessed to him, revealing burns on his own body. Pittman faces federal charges of arson and state charges including first-degree arson with a hate crime enhancement, potentially leading to decades in prison. Surveillance footage and cell phone data, including GPS tracking, corroborate his presence at the scene, where several Torah scrolls were destroyed.