Minnesota mosque arsonist Jackie Rahm Little sentenced to 70 months in federal prison
Jackie Rahm Little, 38, who pleaded guilty to setting fires at two Twin Cities mosques in April 2023, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison. The federal conviction covers the April 23 fire at Masjid Omar in Minneapolis and the April 24 blaze at Masjid Al‑Rahma in Bloomington—which caused more than $378,000 in damage and forced evacuations—after an FBI‑led arson and civil‑rights investigation; U.S. prosecutors said the sentence should deter attacks on houses of worship.
📌 Key Facts
- Jackie Rahm Little, 38, was sentenced to 70 months (nearly six years) in federal prison.
- The federal conviction covers two arsons: the April 23, 2023 fire at Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis and the April 24, 2023 fire at Masjid Al‑Rahma in Bloomington.
- Damage at Masjid Al‑Rahma alone exceeded $378,000, and community leaders and children at an on-site daycare had to evacuate during that blaze.
- The FBI led the arson and civil‑rights investigation that resulted in Little’s arrest, guilty plea and federal sentence.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that desecration of houses of worship will not be tolerated and highlighted the sentence as a deterrent to future attacks on religious communities.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, the Council on American-Islamic Relations received 8,061 complaints of anti-Muslim incidents nationwide, marking the highest number in its 30-year history, with nearly half occurring in the last three months of the year amid the Israel-Gaza war.
2024 Civil Rights Report: Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate — Council on American-Islamic Relations
Minnesota leads the nation in incidents targeting mosques, according to a 2025 national report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
CAIR-Minnesota Responds to National Report Indicating Minnesota Leads the Nation in Incidents Targeting Mosques — Council on American-Islamic Relations
Minnesota's Muslim population is estimated at between 140,000 and 200,000, representing about 2-3% of the state's total population of approximately 5.7 million as of recent estimates.
Religion in Minnesota — Wikipedia
The Twin Cities area has approximately 182,000 Muslims, which is about 5% of the local population, five times the national average of 1% for Muslims in the US.
Muslims in Twin Cities — Unknown (PDF source)
Minnesota is home to nearly 80,000 Somalis, the largest Somali community in the world outside of Somalia, with most being Sunni Muslims who arrived as refugees fleeing civil war in the 1990s.
Muslim · Religions in Minnesota — Carleton College
Somali refugees began arriving in Minnesota in the early 1990s due to the Somali Civil War, facilitated by U.S. refugee resettlement programs and organizations such as Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities, attracted by job opportunities and welcoming communities.
How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S. — NPR
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- Jackie Rahm Little, 38, has been sentenced to 70 months (nearly six years) in federal prison.
- The federal conviction covers both the April 23, 2023 fire at Masjid Omar Islamic Center in Minneapolis and the April 24, 2023 fire at Masjid Al-Rahma in Bloomington.
- Damage at Masjid Al-Rahma alone exceeded $378,000, and community leaders and daycare children had to evacuate during the blaze.
- The FBI led the arson and civil‑rights investigation that resulted in Little’s arrest, plea and sentence.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that desecration of houses of worship will not be tolerated and highlighted the sentence as a deterrent to future attacks on religious communities.