19-Year-Old Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Mass Shooting Against Jews
A 19-year-old man from Michigan, Seann Pietila, pleaded guilty on Monday to threatening to commit a mass shooting against Jews in a series of Instagram messages, according to authorities.
Pietila exchanged disturbing messages with another Instagram user in June, discussing plans to commit a mass murder and broadcast the attack online, as highlighted in the indictment. The messages contained specific references to a desire to inspire others to “take up arms against the Jewish-controlled state,” demonstrating sympathy for neo-Nazi ideology, anti-Semitism, and past mass shooters, as mentioned in a U.S. Department of Justice news release.
The guilty plea comes amid reports of a dramatic increase in threats or prejudice against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities in the United States. FBI Director Christopher Wray warned last month that anti-Semitism is reaching “historic levels” in the country.
The FBI received a report about Pietila’s online exchange around June 13, and days later, he was detained and served a search warrant at his home. Firearms, tactical vests, visors, a Nazi flag, black skulls, and other items were found at his residence, as detailed in the criminal complaint.
Further evidence was found in the notes app on Pietila’s iPhone, which contained the name of an East Lansing, Michigan synagogue, a date, and a list of weapons, including bombs, Molotov cocktails, and firearms.
During questioning, Pietila claimed he did not plan to carry out the mass killings he had discussed in the messages. He also admitted to knowing that one of the users he conversed with on Instagram was a 16-year-old boy from New Zealand.
Pietila pleaded guilty to a single federal count of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce. He faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The sentencing is scheduled for March, and Pietila will not be allowed to possess firearms, according to the Department of Justice.
CNN reached out to Pietila’s attorney for comment, but there was no response. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mark Totten, emphasized that no one should face violent threats based on their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status. He stated, “At this time of increasing threats across the country, we renew our commitment to preventing, disrupting, and prosecuting illegal acts of hate fueled by anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, or anti-Arab prejudice.”