Man Arrested After Allegedly Trying to Burn Down Satanic Temple in Salem
A man attempted to burn down the Satanic Temple in Salem, Mass., Friday (June 10).
Footage captured at the scene was shared in a viral TikTok and shows the man, who can be seen wearing a shirt with the word "God" on the front of it, spreading what appears to be fire accelerant on the porch of the temple.
Watch below:
The arson was short-lived, however. Police were able to catch the man at the scene of the attempted crime.
"They tackled him right over there," a neighbor can be heard saying in the video.
The arson was first posted about by Lucien Greaves, co-founder of the Satanic Temple, on Twitter.
"This holy crusader in a 'GOD' [T-shirt] just dumped an accelerant on The Satanic Temple headquarters and lit it on fire," he wrote.
According to the Boston Globe, the man, identified as Daniel Lucey, is currently facing charges of arson, interfering with civil rights and vandalism to a place of worship.
"The fire did not breach into the house. It remains to be determined how much of the area around the front of the house, and how much of the front porch will need to be replaced due to damage. The outpouring of support has been truly moving. Thank you, everybody," Greaves shared in another tweet.
Of the damage, Greaves said there was not "an insignificant amount of damage. It went up fast. I think he used gasoline."
He also posted a photo of the flames emerging from the house, taken by a neighbor.
The TikTok posted by @salemwitchwiles garnered many comments from viewers.
"No hate like Christian love," one user commented.
"That's not very Love Thy Neighbor of them," another user quipped.
"First the statue and now this?!" another wrote, referencing the iconic statue of Samantha from Bewitched located in the heart of Salem.
The statue was recently vandalized with red paint just days before the Satanic Temple was set on fire.
The statue commemorates the 1960s sitcom Bewitched — a fitting choice for witchy Salem. The seventh season of the beloved show was even filmed there.
The man responsible for the paint incident was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and vandalism, according to CNN.