FBI arrests Michigan man accused of planning mass synagogue killing

Seann Patrick Pietila was charged at a Michigan court on Friday with planning a mass killing at a synagogue in East Lansing. He discussed the plan on Instagram with antisemitic remarks about hating Jews. FBI agents recovered from his phone threats listing Shaarey Zedek synagogue for targeting on March 15, 2024, an apparent reference to the deadly New Zealand mass shooting on that date in 2019. An FBI search of his home 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.