Oklahoma man arrested after authorities say he threw a pipe bomb at Satanic Temple in Massachusetts
BOSTON — An Oklahoma man was arrested Wednesday after authorities accused him of throwing a pipe bomb at the headquarters of a group called The Satanic Temple in Massachusetts.
The Salem-based group says on its website that it campaigns for secularism and individual freedoms, and that its members do not actually worship Satan.
Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma, has been charged with using an explosive to damage a building after an attack last week on the company’s headquarters, which is also used as an art gallery.
Several of Palmer’s phone numbers were out of service Wednesday, and the U.S. attorney’s office in Massachusetts said they did not yet have the name of an attorney representing him. He is scheduled to appear in court for the first time in Oklahoma on Thursday. If found guilty, he could face 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Surveillance cameras showed a man walking up to the building shortly after 4 a.m. on April 8, wearing a face covering, tactical vest and gloves, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI said. The man then lit an improvised explosive device, threw it at the main entrance and then ran away. The bomb partially exploded, causing minor fire damage, authorities said.
The bomb appeared to be made from a piece of plastic pipe, authorities said, and they were able to obtain a DNA sample from a single hair on the bomb.
The prosecutor’s office said investigators found a six-page note in a flowerbed near the attack, addressed to “Dear Satanist,” urging conversion. Authorities said Palmer posted similar comments on social media.
Prosecutors also said surveillance footage showed a black Volvo registered to Palmer driving erratically through the area before and after the incident, and that Palmer had recently purchased a piece of PVC pipe at a hardware store in Oklahoma.
The Satanic Temple says on its website that it does not believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural. The group could not immediately be reached for comment.