SALEM, Mass. – Two weeks ago, The Wild Hunt reported that Massachusetts and federal authorities were investigating an incident where an explosive device was hurled onto the porch of The Satanic Temple (TST). On April 17, The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced the arrest of an Oklahoma man for allegedly throwing a pipe bomb at TST headquarters. Investigators also now said the pipe bomb only partially detonated.
First and foremost, it’s crucial to clarify that TST is not a Pagan group, although its societal endeavors often intersect with those of many Pagan organizations. Established in 2013 by Lucien Greaves and others, TST stands as a non-theistic religious and activist entity advocating for the separation of church and state, social equity, and personal liberties. While it employs Satanic imagery and symbolism, its principles do not revolve around the worship of a literal Satan. Instead, these symbols are used metaphorically to signify resistance against oppression, the pursuit of knowledge, individual empowerment, and the dismantling of religious privilege in support of secularism.
Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, from Perkins, Oklahoma, now faces charges in a criminal complaint of “using an explosive to cause damage to a building used in interstate or foreign commerce.” Palmer was apprehended on the morning of April 17 and had an initial appearance in the Western District of Oklahoma on Thursday. Palmer is being extradited to Massachusetts where he will appear in federal court in Boston.
Image of perpetrator throwing the pipe bomb at TST headquarters captured by security cameras – Image source U.S. Department of Justice
Recapping the events and evidence the District Attorney’s office said that at around 4:14 a.m. on April 8, 2024, surveillance cameras outside TST recorded a man approaching the premises dressed in black pants, a black jacket, a black face covering, a tan-colored tactical vest, and gloves. According to the charging documents, as the individual neared TST, he ignited a pipe bomb—an improvised explosive device (IED)—and hurled it at the main entrance before fleeing the scene. Moments later, the pipe bomb partially detonated, resulting in minor fire and associated damage to TST’s exterior.
The District Attorney said in a statement that “the pipe bomb appeared to have been 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.”
Evidence collected at the site helped identify the suspect and make an arrest. “A single human hair was allegedly located on the pipe bomb containing a DNA profile from a Caucasian male, ” the District Attorney
The charging document also notes that Palmer acquired a PVC pipe and a corresponding PVC end cap—similar to the components utilized in constructing the pipe bomb—from a home improvement retailer in Oklahoma.
The partially detonated pipe bomb recovered at TST Headquarters [Image source: U.S. Department of Justice]
Palmer allegedly also left a note in a flower bed that reportedly read:
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.
Palmer is purported to frequently comment on discussions in social media regarding religious topics using similar themes to the one in the handwritten note.
Surveillance footage obtained during the investigation revealed a black Volvo sedan behaving erratically near TST before and after the pipe bomb was thrown. The vehicle is purportedly registered to Palmer.
A photo circulating on a social media platform depicts Palmer, a Caucasian male, donning a tan-colored tactical vest akin to the one worn by the suspect captured by the TST security camera.
The charges faced by Palmer carry a penalty of no less than five years and up to 20 years in incarceration, along with three years of supervised release and a potential fine of up to $250,000.
“There’s just no justification for doing this kind of thing. There’s no justification for even attempting,” Greaves told WCVB in Boston. “Clearly, the intention was to do the maximum amount of damage and there was a complete disregard for human life.”
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