Michigan man arrested and charged with planning synagogue attack

A Michigan man was arrested on Friday for plotting a mass shooting attack at the Shaarey Zedek synagogue in East Lansing, Michigan.

Seann Pietila, 19, was arrested and charged with “transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure another,” according to a criminal complaint filed in a Michigan District Court.

The FBI began investigating Pietila after receiving a report of “threatening communications” posted to Instagram.

The social media company provided a 210-page document to investigators which contained the suspect’s Instagram account user information.

In his message to another user, Pietila wrote he was planning to live stream a mass shooting similar to the 2019 New Zealand mosque shooting.

The suspect further claimed to have “11ish” guns and said he only needed more gun magazines “so I don’t have an ammo problem.”

“I won’t be taken alive, I’ll make sure of that,” before commenting that he just needed to get a camera for live streaming and some more ammunition magazines.

He also wrote “Heil Hitler!” and ended the message with a skull emoji.

In repeated messages on Instagram, Pietila made anti-Semitic statements.

The FBI also found a Pinterest account containing Nazi imagery associated with Pietila, as well as photos of Christchurch mosque shooter Brenton Tarrant and Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian extremist who killed 77 people in 2011.

On June 16, the FBI served a search warrant at Pietila’s home and found a rifle, a shotgun, a pistol, ammunition, weapons accessories, knives, tactical gear, skull masks, a Nazi flag and other military gear.

Investigators also found a note saved to Pietila’s iPhone called “Shaarey Zedek Congregation, March 15, 2024.” The note listed equipment, including “hand-made pipe bombs, molotovs, Two Stag-15’s, 12-gauge shotgun and two back up Glock 18’s.”

March 15 was the 4th anniversary of the 2019 mosque shootings in Christchurch.

Pietila reportedly told investigators that he “did not intend on following through” with his planned shooting attack.

His mother claimed the weapons found during the search belonged to her and her husband, however, the FBI says that most of the weapons were recovered from a residence where Pietila was living by himself.

Following the arrest, FBI Special Agent James Tarasca said, “No American should face threats against them based on their race or religion.”

"Antisemitic threats and violence against our Jewish communities – or any other group for that matter – will not be tolerated in the Western District of Michigan," said U.S. District Attorney Mark Totten said.

Pietila is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 22.