Man suspected of throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple in Massachusetts is arrested, prosecutors say

A suspect has been arrested for allegedly throwing a pipe bomb that damaged The Satanic Temple headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts, where investigators found a letter addressed, “Dear Satanist” at the scene last week, prosecutors announced.

Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma, was arrested Wednesday morning and has been charged with using fire or an explosive to damage a building used in interstate or foreign commerce during the April 8 incident, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said.

The letter reads, in part, “Elohim send me 7 months ago to give you peaceful message to hope you repent. You say no, Elohim now send me to smite Satan and I happy to obey,” according to the affidavit.

About 7 months ago, on September 11, the Satanic Temple headquarters was vandalized with Bible verses spray painted in white, according to the affidavit.

In a statement on the arrest Wednesday, The Satanic Temple expressed thanks to police and federal investigators and “profound gratitude to the Salem community for the outpouring of support we have received during this challenging period.”

durangodawood said:

Is this the same Salem where Christians went witch mad so long ago?

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Yes indeedy!

(Although the cognoscenti will have you know that the trials happened in Danvers.)

“An Oklahoma man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple (TST) in Salem, Mass. on April 8, 2024.

Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Okla., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2025, Palmer pleaded guilty to one count of using an explosive device to damage and attempt to damage a building used in interstate or foreign commerce. He was charged by criminal complaint and arrested on April 17, 2024, in Perkins, Okla.