Minnesota Man Pleads Guilty to Mosque Arsons
Jackie Rahm Little, 38, entered the plea on Wednesday in U.S. District Court. He faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on the arson count, with prosecutors recommending a sentence of 63 to 78 months along with $378,000 in restitution.
Judge Ann Montgomery scheduled sentencing for January 20, ABC News reported on Thursday.
The first fire occurred on April 23, 2023, when Little ignited a cardboard box in a restroom at Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis. The flames were quickly put out by mosque members.
The following day, security cameras recorded him carrying a gasoline can into Masjid Al-Rahma in Bloomington, also known as Mercy Center, where a blaze broke out on the third floor. About 50 children were evacuated from the mosque’s daycare as the fire spread, causing extensive damage but no casualties.
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“This was not only a federal crime, it was an attack on the heart of a community,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said after the plea.
Leaders of Minnesota’s Muslim community described the arsons as deeply unsettling, coming amid a rise in attacks on mosques and Islamic institutions across the country.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, recalled being inside Masjid Al-Rahma at the time of the second fire. “What really saved us were the quick actions of the individual who saw the fire, who also had the wits to run to the fire department, which is a neighbor of the mosque,” he said.
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Little’s attorney argued that schizophrenia influenced his client’s actions, but the court had previously found him competent to stand trial after treatment. Records show a history of prior arson allegations, domestic violence, and multiple hospitalizations. While defense counsel said Little takes responsibility and “does not contain an ounce of animus [toward Muslims] when in his right mind,” Hussein stressed that accountability was essential: “We hope he gets the treatment he needs, but he’s still a threat to the community.”
The mosque attacks followed other incidents in Minnesota, including the 2017 firebombing of Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center. Hussein said that rather than instilling fear, the crimes have reinforced the community’s determination to protect its places of worship.
Source: Agencies
