Explosive device thrown onto porch of Satanic temple in Massachusetts
A person threw an explosive device that damaged the porch of The Satanic Temple in Salem, Mass. when nobody was inside, according to local law enforcement.
The explosive device was thrown at around 4:14 a.m. local time on Monday and was detected by staff at approximately 4:00 p.m., police said in a press release.
State police bomb technicians made sure the device was not a danger. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) assisted in the probe while police dogs cleared the spot for potential secondary devices.
No further details about the damage were available. The Hill has reached out to The Satanic Temple and Salem police for comment.
Police and an FBI joint terrorism task force are investigating the incident.
The Satanic Temple was founded in 2013. Its Salem headquarters has a gallery with exhibits on Satanism and witch hunts. The center “often hosts and performs formal ceremonial events, lectures, screenings, and meetings,” according to its website.
The center has dealt with previous bomb threats, according to the Salem police's news release.
In June 2022, a man was arrested for arson. He pleaded not guilty after being accused of setting fire to the building.
A Michigan man was arrested and charged after plotting to bomb the temple in that state, according to the police's news release.