Man said to have directed anger at Muslims pleads guilty to setting 2 Twin Cities mosques on fire

A man with a reported history of directing anger toward Muslims pleaded guilty Wednesday to setting fires on successive days that damaged two Twin Cities mosques.

Jackie Rahm Little, 38, of Plymouth, admitted in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis to one count each of arson and damage to religious property, the latter considered a federal hate crime.

Little set fire on April 23, 2023, to Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis, and the next day, he ignited a much more serious blaze at the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque in Bloomington.

“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,” read a statement from Acting U.S. Attorney Joe 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.”

The executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Jaylani Hussein, said in his statement that “these violent attacks were meant to instill fear, but instead they have strengthened our community’s resolve.”

Hussein recalled arriving at the mosque in Bloomington and “pulling children from the day care and evacuating worshipers from the mosque. This attack shocked our community, and today we begin the next chapter as this case moves forward. We welcome accountability and will continue to advocate for change and greater protections for Minnesota’s houses of worship.”

Little remains in federal custody without bail in the Sherburne County jail ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 20.

Little also stands charged in Hennepin County District Court with arson stemming from the Minneapolis fire. He has a hearing in that case scheduled for Oct. 3.

The federal criminal complaint did not discuss a suspected motive. But the charges and documents for Little’s civil commitments to hospitals describe him as often being a threat to others.

At the time of the fires, Little suffered from a bipolar disorder that “grossly” impaired his judgment, behavior and ability to recognize reality, according to a 2021 commitment order.

While in a transitional housing program, Little “extensively harassed” a Muslim woman, his mother told investigators. The woman alleged Little sent her a photo of the Qur’an in a toilet. In late December 2022, a similar photo was emailed to U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, allegedly by Little, federal investigators wrote.

On Jan. 5, 2023, Little allegedly went to Omar’s Minneapolis office and spray-painted “500” outside the office door, and he did the same on a Minneapolis police car driven by a Somali officer and on a door to the 24 Somali Mall on E. 24th Street a few hours later. “The meaning of the ’500′ text is unclear,” investigators wrote in the complaint.

On the night of April 24, 2023, Little went to the Masjid Al-Rahma Mosque and started a fire on the third floor when worshipers and 40 day care children were in the building. Firefighters doused the blaze before it spread to the lower levels. The damage amount came to $378,000.

A day earlier, Little started a fire in the bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis by igniting a cardboard box inside a bathroom stall. Little was interrupted by an employee, prompting him to flee while leaving the burning cardboard and a gas canister behind.