Minnesota State Wire

Jackie Rahm Little, 38, has pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of arson and one count of damage to religious property after setting fires at two mosques in Minnesota. The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.

“When someone sets fire to a house of worship, it is not only a federal crime, it is an attack on the heart of a community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Minnesota has endured too many assaults on our sacred spaces. Such hatred and destruction will always be met with federal prosecution as we continue to defend everyone’s right to worship in safety and peace.”

On April 24, 2023, Little entered the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque in Bloomington with a container holding gasoline or another ignitable liquid and set fire to the third floor hallway and stairwell. The building had to be evacuated, including children who were attending daycare at the time. Damage from the fire exceeded $378,000.

The previous day, Little started another fire at the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis by lighting a cardboard box inside a bathroom stall and leaving it with the intent for it to ignite further. An employee interrupted him before more extensive damage could occur; partially burned cardboard and a gas canister were left behind.

Little entered his guilty plea before District Judge Ann D. Montgomery and is scheduled for sentencing at a later date.

The FBI conducted the investigation into these incidents, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.