(BrightPress.org) – A bomb was thrown onto the front porch of a Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts on Monday, April 8th. According to local police, the explosive device was thrown onto the porch around 4:15 a.m. when the building was unoccupied. The damage was discovered about 12 hours later when staff began to arrive.
Spokesperson and co-founder for the temple Lucien Greaves said the incident was “definitely a horrific act of attempted terrorism.” Greaves told the Boston Globe he unknowingly gave a tour of the facility while the bomb was sitting on the deck.
The building was cleared by bomb technicians and K-9 units who ensured no other explosive devices were present. A joint investigation performed by local police, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force declared the “threat had been contained” around 7:15 p.m.
The Satanic Temple was founded in 2013 and claims the organization does not believe in Satan and is instead a “non-theistic religious organization.” The temple has 16 chapters in the United States and thousands of followers around the world. The Satanic Temple is not associated with the Church of Satan founded by Anton LeVay in the 1960’s. According to the temple’s website, its mission is to “reject tyrannical authority” and “encourage benevolence and empathy.” Greaves said the organization finds “real power” in the “mythology of Satan” from the perspective of Satan being the “ultimate rebel against tyranny.” The organization claims its main pledge is to “fight a perceived intrusion of Christian values on American politics.”
The temple has faced threats before. In January, a man from Michigan was arrested for allegedly plotting to bomb the building. In June of 2022, a fire was started at the temple which burned the porch. There were no injuries. The man accused of setting the fire pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including arson.
Copyright 2024, BrightPress.org
