Oklahoma man arrested for allegedly tossing pipe bomb at Satanic Temple in Salem

An Oklahoma man has been arrested for allegedly throwing a pipe bomb at the Satanic Temple in Salem earlier this month, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma was arrested Wednesday morning and was charged in a criminal complaint of “using an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce”, according to Acting United States District of Massachusetts Attorney Joshua Levy.

Members of the Massachusetts State Police bomb squad and Salem Police responded to 64 Bridge Street in Salem around 4 p.m. on April 8, nearly 12 hours after authorities say an improvised explosive device was thrown onto the porch of the Satanic Temple. Video surveillance captured a male suspect wearing black pants, a black jacket, a black face covering, a tan-colored tactical vest and gloves light the pipe bomb before throwing it at the Satanic Temple’s main entrance and running away.

The pipe bomb caused a minor fire and damage to the building’s exterior.

The Department of Justice says the thrown pipe bomb was constructed from a section of plastic pipe covered with metal nails which were attached to the pipe with tape.

“The inside of the pipe was filled with a powder-like substance, preliminarily identified as smokeless gunpowder. A single human hair was allegedly located on the pipe bomb containing a DNA profile from a Caucasian male,” the Department of Justice stated.

In addition to the pipe bomb, investigators found a six-page note containing the following passage:

DEAR SATANIST

ELOHIM SEND ME 7 MONTHS AGO TO GIVE YOU

PEACEFUL MESSAGE TO HOPE YOU REPENT. YOU SAY

NO, ELOHIM NOW SEND ME TO SMITE SATAN AND I

HAPPY TO OBEY. AND ELOHIM WANT ME TO CONTACT

YOU TO TELL YOU REPENT. TURN FROM SIN. ELOHIM

NO LIKE THIS PLACE AND PLAN TO DESTROY IT. MAYBE

SALEM TOO? ELOHIM SEND ME TO FIGHT CRYBABY

SATAN, BUT WANT ME TO MAKE HARD EFFORT SO NO

ONE DIES. I OBEY.

—  letter recovered from scene of pipe bomb tossed at Satanic Temple

Officials state additional surveillance footage captured a black Volvo sedan registered to Palmer driving erratically immediately before and after the incident.

Investigators say Palmer’s social media also contained comments about religious matters and featured at least one photo of him wearing a tactical vest similar to the one in the Satanic Temple’s surveillance video.

On April 3, 2024, Palmer also allegedly purchased PVC pipe and a PVC end cap from a home improvement retailer in Oklahoma matching the materials later found from the pipe bomb in Salem, according to the DOJ.

In a statement, Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller said he’s grateful for the tireless work of their law enforcement partners:

“I am very pleased to announce the arrest of Patrick Palmer of Perkins, Oklahoma, by detectives from the Salem Police Department and special agents of the FBI for the bombing of the Satanic Temple on April 8, 2024, in Salem. I am also grateful for the help and partnership from the Massachusetts State Police and the ATF. The seamless cooperation between these agencies is what solved this case. I am so proud of the members of the Salem Police Department for their response to this incident, but particularly our Detectives -- they worked tirelessly. I also hope this makes clear once again, that if you target the people of Salem for violence we, and our friends in the FBI, will find you.”

Mayor Dominick Pangallo also expressed his gratitude:

“On behalf of the City of Salem I want to express our profound gratitude for the exceptional work put into this investigation by the members of the Salem Police Department. I hope the US Attorney’s office moves swiftly to see that justice is carried out. Salem is a welcoming place and violence intended to terrorize our city should be met with a decisive response from law enforcement, our judicial system, and our community. I also would like to extend our appreciation to the Department of Justice, especially the FBI and ATF teams who assisted in this investigation and arrest, and the local Oklahoma law enforcement personnel who aided in the effort.”

The charge of using fire or an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, the DOJ says.

Perkins is expected to appear in court in the Western District of Oklahoma on Thursday and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.

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