Suspect in custody for apparent arson attack on Mississippi synagogue

A suspect was taken into custody Saturday after an arson attack set fire to a Mississippi synagogue, destroying Torahs and prompting an investigation that included the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The fire broke out shortly after 3 a.m. at Congregation Beth Israel in Jackson, the state’s largest synagogue. No congregants were injured, officials said.

Photos taken from the scene show that the administrative office and the synagogue’s library were seriously damaged, and many Torahs were destroyed or damaged.

Jackson Mayor John Horhn confirmed that one person was taken into custody following an investigation involving the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.

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“Acts of anti-Semitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be considered acts of terrorism against the safety of residents and freedom of worship,” Horhn said in a statement. he said.

Authorities did not immediately release the suspect’s name or what charges the person is facing.

Following the fire, services at the synagogue will be suspended indefinitely. (Beth Israel)

Congregation Beth Israel was previously targeted in 1967 in a Ku Klux Klan bombing linked to the synagogue’s involvement in civil rights efforts, according to the Institute for Southern Jewish Life, which also operates from the building.

“Beth Israel, Jackson’s only synagogue, is a beloved institution, and the fellowship of our neighbors and the broader community will propel us to success,” the institute said in a statement.

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The American Jewish Committee also issued a statement saying it was “outraged” by the alleged attack.

“This hateful act is only the latest symptom of the dangerously rising antisemitism facing Jewish communities across the country and around the world,” the statement said.

Zach Shemper, president of Congregation Beth Israel, stands covered in ashes outside the congregation’s sanctuary, several hours after the building was damaged by a fire in Jackson, Miss., on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (Allen Siegler/Mississippi Today via AP)

The synagogue’s president, Zach Shemper, said the congregation was still assessing the damage and was getting help from other houses of worship. Mississippi Today. Shemper added that services will be suspended indefinitely.

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A Torah survivor of the Holocaust was not damaged in the fire, media reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.