Jackie Rahm Little, 38, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of arson and one count of damage to religious property. The plea follows incidents in April 2023 when Little set fires at two mosques in Minnesota: the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque in Bloomington and the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis.
According to authorities, on April 24, 2023, Little entered the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque with a container of gasoline or another ignitable liquid. He used it to ignite a fire in the mosque’s third floor hallway and stairwell. The building was evacuated, including children attending daycare at the time. Damages from this incident exceeded $378,000.
The previous day, April 23, Little started a fire inside a bathroom stall at the Masjid Omar Islamic Center by lighting a cardboard box. He intended for the fire to spread but was interrupted by an employee before fleeing the scene. Investigators later found partially burned cardboard and a gas cannister left behind.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson commented on the case: “When someone sets fire to a house of worship, it is not only a federal crime, it is an attack on the heart of a community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Minnesota has endured too many assaults on our sacred spaces. Such hatred and destruction will always be met with federal prosecution as we continue to defend everyone’s right to worship in safety and peace.”
Little entered his guilty plea before District Judge Ann D. Montgomery and will be sentenced at a later date.
The FBI conducted the investigation into these incidents.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.
