Minnesota Man Admits Setting Fires at Twin Cities Mosques

Minneapolis, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Twin Cities man has entered guilty pleas to federal charges connected to arson fires at two mosques.

The Office of the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota says 38-year-old Jackie Rahm Little was accused of setting fires at the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque and at the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in the Twin Cities. The fires occurred one day apart in late April 2023.

Prosecutors Detail Fires at Bloomington and Minneapolis Mosques

Federal prosecutors say the Plymouth man went to a Bloomington mosque on April 24 and used gasoline or another flammable liquid to start a fire in the third-floor hallway and stairwell. The place of worship was occupied at the time, and those evacuated included children attending a day care center in the building. The damage was estimated at more than $375,000.

The previous day, Little was accused of igniting a fire in the bathroom of the mosque in Minneapolis. Charges say he started a cardboard box on fire with the intent for it to spread to the rest of the building. In that case, an employee interrupted Little, who left behind the partially burned cardboard and a gas canister as he fled.

Acting U.S. Attorney Condemns Attacks on Sacred Spaces

“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.”

Little has entered guilty pleas to one count of arson and one count of damage to religious property. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

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