FBI agents arrested a Michigan man on June 16 after he threatened a mass shooting at a synagogue in East Lansing, Michigan, according to federal court documents filed in the Western District of Michigan.
Seann Patrick Pietila, 19, was charged with “transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure another,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten announced Friday in a news release.
FBI Special Agent Ryan Roskey said in the complaint that Pietila demonstrated through Instagram messages his neo-Nazi style ideology, antisemitic beliefs, suicidal ideologies, glorification of past mass shooters that have had similar ideologies, and intent to mimic their actions.
Prosecutors say he made apparent references to the New Zealand shooter, who is serving life in prison for killing 51 people and injuring 40 others in the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks.
Investigators also found a Pinterest account from Pietila that included posts containing Nazi imagery and references to mass shooters. They were able to connect the Instagram and Pinterest accounts to Pietila, and also found TikTok and Discord accounts tied to him to confirm his identity.
The investigation began with a tip earlier this week that someone was making threats on Instagram to commit a mass killing, according to the criminal complaint.
FBI agents executed a search warrant at his residence on Friday and found a cache of weapons, including firearms, knives, tactical equipment, a red-and-white Nazi flag, a ghillie suit, gas masks, and military sniper/survival manuals.
During the search, authorities also found a message on Pietila’s phone in the Notes app that referenced a synagogue in East Lansing, Mich., according to the complaint. The note lists a date of March 15, 2024, the five-year anniversary of Tarrant’s attacks, and mentions pipe bombs, Molotov cocktails, and multiple firearms.
Pietila told investigators that he planned to use the shotgun he had to kill himself and wrote a suicide note on his phone, the complaint states.
Pietila told investigators that he was the Instagram user but said he did not intend to carry out the mass shootings that he referenced, per the complaint.
Pietila is being held temporarily without bond pending a detention hearing on June 22 in federal court in Grand Rapids. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.
Rabbi Amy Bigman of Shaarey Zedek said the synagogue had notified its congregation of 220 families after learning Friday afternoon about the investigation from FBI agents and that an arrest had been made and that person had been charged.
“We wanted our congregation to know that federal, state, and local authorities are aware of the situation that didn’t happen because our law enforcement was on top of things, which we are thankful for,” Bigman told The Detroit News.
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement that he’s “incredibly grateful to the FBI for their swift action to identify and arrest Pietila.”
“Antisemitic threats and violence against our Jewish communities—or any other group for that matter—will not be tolerated in the Western District of Michigan,” he added. “Today and every day, we take all credible threats seriously.”
