Oklahoma Man Sentenced for Pipe Bomb Attack in Salem

BOSTON – In a shocking turn of events, Sean Patrick Palmer, 49, of Perkins, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to five years in prison for throwing a pipe bomb at The Satanic Temple (TST) in Salem, Massachusetts, on April 8, 2024.

Palmer, who was identified through surveillance footage, ignited the pipe bomb and threw it at TST’s main entrance before fleeing the scene. The device, constructed from a roughly two-foot section of plastic pipe covered with metal nails and filled with smokeless gunpowder, did not fully detonate and caused only minor damage to the building.

A six-page handwritten note was found near the scene, in which Palmer claimed to have been sent by a higher power, Elohim, to deliver a message to the Satanic Temple. The note stated that Elohim wanted Palmer to make a hard effort to destroy the temple without causing harm to anyone.

Palmer was arrested on April 17, 2024, in Perkins, Oklahoma, and charged with using an explosive device to damage and attempt to damage a building used in interstate or foreign commerce. He pleaded guilty to the charge in March 2025.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani sentenced Palmer to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The investigation into the pipe bomb attack was a collaborative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Salem Police Department, and other local and federal agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Casey of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.

The Satanic Temple is a non-theistic religious organization headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts. The attack on the temple has sparked concerns about the safety of religious institutions in the area.

Palmer’s sentencing is a reminder of the importance of protecting religious freedom and preventing acts of violence against places of worship.

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