MN Freedom Fund Previously Bailed Out Man Now Charged In Mosque Arson

MINNEAPOLIS — The man who was federally charged over the weekend in fires set at two Minneapolis mosques was previously bailed out by the Minnesota Freedom Fund, court records show.

Jackie Rahm Little, 36, was apprehended Saturday night in Mankato by the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office and taken into federal custody.

In addition to setting fires at the Masjid Omar Islamic Center and Mercy Islamic Center last month, Little was also identified as the suspect who vandalized the Minneapolis district office of U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and a Somali shopping center in January, authorities said.

In a case still unresolved, Little was accused of burning a neighbor's car in 2021. He was released on cash bail paid by the Minnesota Freedom Fund, according to court records.

"We strongly condemn harm against all people in our community, especially harm that is based on identity," the Minnesota Freedom Fund told Patch in an emailed statement.

"We have reached out to the Muslim community, including to Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Minnesota, and we will continue to practice accountability and solidarity with our Muslim neighbors who were harmed by these acts of arson at their places of worship. While Minnesota Freedom Fund welcomes direct accountability with people harmed, we do not disclose information about our clients or their cases to the media. As we have previously stated on the record, our evaluation process is holistic and prioritizes support for people who lack other avenues to vindicate their legal rights – including people experiencing mental health challenges, for whom pre-trial release is often the only way to access needed treatment."

Little's mom said he's been fascinated with fire from a young age, and she suspects his involvement in other unsolved arson incidents, according to investigators.

"Mr. Little is not only responsible for multiple arson attacks against mosques in my district and the vandalism of a Somali officer’s police vehicle, but also targeted my own office with vandalism on at least one occasion," Omar said in a statement Sunday.

"We are witnessing an epidemic of hate against the Muslim community and other religious minorities in Minnesota and globally right now. This campaign of terror is designed to keep us fearful and divided. As Muslim-Americans and as Minnesotans, we will not be terrorized. We will continue to stand united against bigotry because love is stronger than hate."

On Jan. 5 at 11:30 a.m., Little was seen trying to shoplift spray paint from the downtown Minneapolis Target, authorities said. About 30 minutes later, he went to Omar’s nearby district office and spray painted "500" on the front door and photographed it, according to investigators.

Later that day, Little spray-painted "500" on the side of a patrol vehicle assigned to a Somali Minneapolis Police Department officer and in the entryway at the Somali shopping center, authorities said.

The significance of "500" is unclear.

On April 23 at about 7 p.m., Little entered a second-floor bathroom of the Masjid Omar Islamic Center — located above the Somali shopping center — and lit a cardboard box on fire inside a stall, according to investigators. An employee found him doing this and chased Little out of the building, authorities said.

Little left behind burnt cardboard and a partially melted gas canister, according to prosecutors.

On April 24 just before 7 p.m., Little was captured on surveillance video entering the Mercy Islamic Center, authorities said. The center uses the first floor of the building as a private daycare.

Soon after Little entered the building, a fire broke out in the third-floor hallway, and the building was evacuated, according to investigators. About 40 children had to evacuate during the blaze, authorities said.

About 10 minutes after the arson at the Mercy Islamic Center, Little was spotted on surveillance video purchasing a small red gas canister and filling it with gasoline, according to prosecutors.

Little's case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minneapolis Police Department, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Paul Police Department.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights and National Security Divisions and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office provided assistance.