Oklahoma Man Arrested for Pipe Bomb Attack on Satanic Temple HQ

An Oklahoma man was arrested on Wednesday after officials accused him of tossing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple’s headquarters in Massachusetts.

The Salem-based group claims on its website that it advocates for secularism and individual liberty and that its members do not worship Satan.  Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma, was charged with using an explosive to destroy a building after an attack last week on the headquarters, which also serves as an art museum.

Several phone numbers associated with Palmer were out of service Wednesday, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts said it did not yet know who was representing him. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance in Oklahoma on Thursday. If proven guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to the US Attorney’s Office and the FBI, surveillance cameras captured a guy approaching the building shortly after 4 a.m. on April 8 while wearing a face covering, tactical vest, and gloves. The man then set off an improvised explosive device, tossed it toward the main door, and rushed away. Authorities stated the explosive partially detonated, causing minimal fire damage.

Authorities stated the bomb looked to be composed of a piece of plastic pipe, and they were able to recover DNA from a single hair on it.

The Attorney’s Office stated that investigators discovered a six-page message in a flowerbed near the attack addressed to “Dear Satanist” and urging repentance. Authorities said Palmer had made similar remarks on social media.

The Attorney’s Office also stated that surveillance film showed Palmer’s black Volvo driving recklessly in the vicinity before and after the event and that Palmer had recently purchased some PVC tubing from an Oklahoma home improvement store.

According to its website, the Satanic Temple believes in neither Satan nor the supernatural. The group was not immediately available for comment.