UNITED STATES NEWS

Man charged with setting fire to Minneapolis mosque

May 4, 2023, 2:08 PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man suspected of setting fires to Minneapolis mosques and vandalizing the office of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar was indicted Thursday on federal charges of arson and damage to religious property.

Jackie Rahm Little, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury for an April 24 fire at the Masjid Al-Rahma mosque. Authorities are also investigating him as a suspect in a fire that damaged the Masjid Omar Islamic Center inside a Somali shopping mall on April 23, as well as in the January vandalism of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s office and of a Somali American police officer’s vehicle, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said at a news conference.

“The freedom to worship is sacrosanct. We will respond to any attack on any house of worship with urgency and determination,” said Luger, who noted that the charge accusing Little of damaging religious property is a civil rights violation.

Little pleaded not guilty at a brief hearing Thursday, where his attorney said he may seek an evaluation of his client’s mental competency. Hennepin County court records show that Little had been committed as mentally ill three times in 2021 and 2022 but had been free recently on a provisional discharge that was formally revoked last Friday.

Little was arrested Saturday on a state charge of second-degree arson in the April 24 fire, which had prompted the evacuation of about 40 children from a day care at the Masjid Al-Rahma mosque.

Little’s mother told investigators she recognized her son in video surveillance photos from the arsons and vandalism, according to an affidavit filed in support of the federal criminal complaint. She also said she strongly suspected that Little was involved in several unreported arsons.

According to the affidavit, surveillance video captured Little entering the Masjid Al-Rahma mosque minutes before the fire.

Investigators later found cardboard, seven metal canisters designed to hold olive oil, and an odor consistent with gasoline in the third-floor hallway of the mosque, the affidavit said. The hallway and stairwells on both ends were damaged.

A day earlier, Little lit a cardboard box on fire in a second-floor bathroom stall of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center inside the 24 Somali Mall, the court filing said. An employee interrupted Little and chased him out of the building, the document said.

Little’s mother also told law enforcement officials that while her son was living in transitional housing, he “extensively harassed a Muslim female.” That included sending the woman a photo of the Quran in a toilet, according to the affidavit.

State Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, of Minneapolis, a Muslim and Somali, said people in the community have been frightened that the person who lit the fires would come back or try to attack other mosques.

“It’s alarming. It’s scary for the community,” she said.

She is pursuing legislation to expand data collection on hate crimes that she hopes will address the issue. Instead of leaving it solely to law enforcement to report data on bias crimes, the legislation would direct the state Department of Human Rights to also collect data from community organizations, school districts and individuals who might not report such incidents to law enforcement. The provision is part of a broad public safety budget proposal being considered by the Legislature.

___

Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Trisha Ahmed on Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15

United States News

FILE - A marquee promoting a fundraiser with President Joe Biden is on display outside the Lunt-Fon...

Associated Press

Big money, fancy homes, old jokes — inside Joe Biden’s fundraisers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — If you’re a Democrat with money to burn and friends in high places, you can spend thousands on tickets to a fundraiser with President Joe Biden. If not, keep reading to see what you’re missing. With an election year around the corner, Biden is accelerating his fundraising to prepare for an […]

42 minutes ago

FILE - Republican presidential candidates from left, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov....

Associated Press

DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy will appear in northwest Iowa days after a combative GOP debate

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidates will cross paths again in Iowa just days after a fractious debate and as the countdown to the caucuses nears the one-month mark. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will make their case — this time without the others […]

1 hour ago

FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks to Texas state tr...

Associated Press

Appeals court upholds gag order on Trump in Washington case but narrows restrictions on his speech

A federal appeals court in Washington on Friday largely upheld a gag order on former President Donald Trump in his 2020 election interference case but narrowed the restrictions on his speech.

4 hours ago

FILE - Migrant families wade through shallow waters toward Roma, Texas, March 24, 2021. A federal j...

Associated Press

Federal judge prohibits separating migrant families at US border for 8 years

A federal judge on Friday prohibited the separation of families at the border for purposes of deterring immigration for eight years.

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Indiana secretary of state appeals ruling for US Senate candidate seeking GOP nod

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana secretary of state is appealing a ruling that a law stipulating voting requirements for a candidate’s party affiliation is unconstitutional in a decision that lifted the hopes of a U.S. Senate hopeful who wants to run as a Republican. The Indiana attorney general’s office filed the notice of appeal Friday […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

Nashville Police investigation into leak of Covenant School shooter’s writings is inconclusive

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nashville Police have “exhausted all available investigative avenues” in the hunt for the person who leaked pages from a school shooter’s journals to a conservative commentator, the department announced in an email sent to media late on Friday. The writings are part of an ongoing legal battle over whether they should […]

6 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

(KTAR News Graphic)...

KTAR launches online holiday auction benefitting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley

KTAR is teaming up with The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley for a holiday auction benefitting thousands of Valley kids.

Follow @KTAR923...

Valley residents should be mindful of plumbing ahead of holidays

With Halloween in the rear-view and more holidays coming up, Day & Night recommends that Valley residents prepare accordingly.

...

Desert Institute for Spine Care

Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC) wants to help Valley residents address back, neck issues through awake spine surgery

As the weather begins to change, those with back issues can no longer rely on the dry heat to aid their backs. That's where DISC comes in.

Man charged with setting fire to Minneapolis mosque