Suspect arrested after a fire damages a historic Mississippi synagogue [View all]

Source: AP

Updated 8:50 AM CST, January 11, 2026

A person was taken into custody late Saturday after a fire ripped through a synagogue in Mississippi, heavily damaging the historic house of worship in what authorities say was an act of arson. No one was injured, reports say.

The blaze erupted at the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday. Photos showed the charred remains of an administrative office and synagogue library, where several Torahs were destroyed or damaged, synagogue leaders said.

Charles Felton, the chief fire investigator at the Jackson Fire Department, confirmed the arrest late Saturday to Mississippi Today, but did not provide the suspect’s name or charges. No injuries were reported. Felton said the department determined the fire was arson.

The synagogue, the largest in Mississippi, was the site of a Ku Klux Klan bombing in 1967 — a response to the congregation’s role in civil rights activities, according to the Institute for Southern Jewish Life, which also houses its office in the building.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-fire-arson-beth-israel-7a11b4b0f6524571da85fe4ed96e42bd