A 36-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to blow up a Jewish assisted living residence by planting a “homemade incendiary device” near the entrance, according to a press release from the state’s district attorney. John Michael Rathbun was charged with two counts of attempted arson in the alleged scheme. “In times of national crisis, hatred based on religion often blossoms into violence,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling, adding that Rathbun attempted to carry out the alleged plot “at the same time that the facility was being discussed on white supremacist online platforms.” The residential facility, located in East Longmeadow, is near three Jewish temples, a Jewish private school, and a Jewish community center, according to the release. Lelling said the case “highlights the very real threat posed by racially motivated violent extremists.”
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