East Longmeadow Man Faces Charges After Allegedly Attempting To Blow Up Jewish Assisted-Living Facility

LONGMEADOW (CBS) – An East Longmeadow man will face attempted arson charges in federal court after the U.S. Attorney's Office said he tried to blow up a Jewish assisted-living facility on April 2.

John Michael Rathbun, 36, "placed a homemade incendiary device near the entrance of a Jewish assisted living facility, located within a short distance of three Jewish temples, a Jewish private school, and a Jewish Community Center," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. "This case highlights the very real threat posed by racially motivated violent extremists and make no mistake, the FBI will use every investigative tool available, along with the expertise and skills of our partners on our Joint Terrorism Task Forces, to identify, assess and disrupt threats like this one to keep our communities safe."

Police found a full 5-gallon gas can near the entrance of Ruth's House, a Jewish-sponsored residential facility on Converse Street in Longmeadow. The can had a burnt Christian religious pamphlet inside, as if it had been lit on fire to ignite the gas. Police said that bloodstains on the canister handle matched Rathbun's DNA.

In March, a white supremacist group operating on social media platforms promoted killings of religious, racial and ethnic minorities in the United States and specifically identified targets. One user is believed to have cited Ruth's House as a potential target.

"In times of national crisis, hatred based on religion often blossoms into violence," said United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling. "The charges in this case allege that the defendant tried to blow up a Jewish assisted living residence with a five-gallon gas canister at the same time that the facility was being discussed on white supremacist online platforms. We will find, investigate and aggressively prosecute anyone engaged in this kind of mayhem."