EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN: Seann Pietila, a 19-year-old antisemite, was arrested on Friday, June 16, for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a synagogue in East Lansing, Michigan, as per the US Attorney’s Office.
The FBI said that they initially got a report of threatening conversations exchanged via social media and tracked down Pietila through his Instagram account. The teenager allegedly made comments depicting neo-Nazi ideology, antisemitism and glorifying past mass shootings that were conducted with a similar ideology, especially the 2019 shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Who is Seann Pietila?
Pietila is a 19-year-old from Pickford, a township located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, who was arrested for allegedly planning to commit a mass shooting at the Shaarey Zedek congregation in East Lansing. He reportedly made antisemitic comments and shared neo-Nazi ideology on social media under the name “finnishv64.”
“Starting to think plan B is the only option I got left,” Pietila allegedly wrote to another user named “_this_aint_me_88” while talking about an apparent break up, as per documents obtained by Law and Crime Network. “[Moai statue emoji] Because f*** this generation for dating to marry,” he added. “Real though so do I only wish there was easier ways to get guns here bc I really need some at this point man I done with everything as well,” the other user wrote.
“Thanks man, means a lot truly! [Smiley face emoji]. Honestly was expecting it. She’s been ignoring me constantly and just been being a dry texter. But yeah I’m just done at this point. F*** this world and everything in it. I’m gonna start making plans soon, just gotta buy a few more things,” finnishv64 wrote about the breakup.
Shortly after, the users started discussing about Pietila’s mass shooting plan. “I won’t be taken alive,” the 19-year-old allegedly wrote, adding, “I’ll make sure of that. Remember ‘Heil Hitler!’” The other user allegedly responded saying, “If we didn’t have all these s**tskins and kikes we’d be fine.”
Legal documents revealed that user finnishv64 even shared plans to livestream the mass shooting. In another conversation, a user named varix2006 complained about going to school with Jewish people, to which Pietila allegedly replied, “I’m not in school so I can’t relate. Michigan ain’t got that many kikes thankfully. Just lots of Finns and Germans.”
Authorities later said Pietila allegedly named a synagogue in East Lansing in a note on his iPhone. “Me and Limey. Equipment: hand-made pipe bombs, molotovs, Two Stag15-‘s 12 gauge shotgun and two back up Glock 18’s AND a Akm full auto conversion,” the note stated. “Good morning sweetheart, I hope you slept well. Do you still hate me?” it added. Pietila later told officials that “Limey” was Instagram user “_this_aint_me_88,” a 16-year-old boy from New Zealand.
Officials also mentioned that Pietila made plans to carry out the shooting on the anniversary of the Islamophobic mass shootings in New Zealand. The teenager allegedly told investigators that he planned on using a 12-gague shotgun to kill himself and had already written a suicide note, which was on his iPhone. Authorities discovered various firearms and tactical gear while executing a search warrant at the Pickford home where Pietila lived after moving out from his mother’s East Lansing residence.
Officers uncovered “40 caliber pistol ammunition, .22 caliber ammunition, 12 gauge shotgun ammunition, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .22 caliber rifle, a Sig Sauer .40 caliber pistol (serial # 24B049058), .223 rifle magazines, an Apple iPhone 11, various knives and bladed instruments, scopes and firearms accessories, a camouflage tactical vest, a black tactical vest, black skull masks, a red and white Nazi flag, a ghillie suit, gas masks, and military sniper/survival manuals,” the documents revealed, per the Law and Crime Network.
“The firearms located in the residence were not secured in a safe or locked storage box and were freely accessible to anyone in the residence,” the legal papers added. However, Pietila’s mother, Brittany Stob, told ABC News that she believed her son was “not violent” and he was not plotting to commit an actual attack, admitting that Pietila began consuming antisemitic content online while in isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stob said that her son did not have access to the mental health treatment that he needed. “He said some stuff online that he shouldn’t have. He’s a good kid. He would never hurt anybody,” she alleged. She also told the network that the guns and tactical gear seized by the FBI belonged to her and her husband. As per the federal complaint, Stob had two handguns registered to her name, including a “Sig Sauer, .40 Caliber, Model Number SP2022,” and a “Springfield, 9mm, Model XD,” while Pietila “had no known firearms registered in his name.”
How was Seann Pietila caught?
FBI officers initially tracked down Pietila through his Instagram account. Shortly after, they took a picture from his mother’s Facebook account and showed it to authorities at Pickford High School officials, who confirmed his identity. Authorities also said that an Instagram user sent finnishv64 another picture with the message, “Show your face p****.”
The picture showed the image of a man wearing a skull cap and a mask with just his eyes exposed. A cat could be seen on his right shoulder in the photo.
“Show my face for the feds? No thanks,” finnishv64 responded. The cat in the photo reportedly matched the feline seen in a picture posted to Stob's Facebook account. After authorities executed a search warrant at Pietila’s home, the teenager allegedly admitted to being finnishv64. “As demonstrated above, finnishv64 has communicated Neo-Nazi style ideology, antisemitism, suicidal ideologies, glorification of past mass shooters (that advocate similar ideology), and a desire and his intent to mimic past mass shooters/mass casualty incidents,” authorities wrote in a legal document.
