A pre-dawn fire that tore through Beth Israel, the only synagogue in Jackson, Mississippi, has triggered a federal hate crime investigation and left a historic Jewish congregation facing the loss of its spiritual home for the second time in less than six decades.
Investigators say a suspect has been arrested after the blaze broke out at around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, sending flames through the building and causing extensive damage that will force the congregation to worship elsewhere for the foreseeable future. The FBI is now working alongside local authorities as officials assess whether the arson constitutes a hate crime.
