Michigan Man Attempts To Bomb Satanic Temple In Salem

If the history of Salem, Massachusetts wasn't scary enough, they recently had one more thing to worry about.

Luke Isaac Terpstra from Grant, Michigan was recently arrested and charged with possession of explosives with unlawful intent. According to a press release by the Salem Massachusetts Police Department, Terpstra's arrest came after an investigation by the Grant Police Department in Michigan showed he had traveled to Salem in November to possibly plan the attack. It is believed he acted alone.

Terpstra's stepfather revealed he saw a box of improvised explosives in a box inside Terpstra's home. Terpstra was recently evicted and his stepfather was helping him move out when the discovery was made. He proceeded to tip off the police which led to the arrest. According to his father, he planned to attack the Temple because "they're bad people."

Salem has a long history of Satanic activity. The town has been known for one of the most notorious witch hunts in history, where it was believed that the Devil had infiltrated the village of Salem. Over 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft, which is believed to be the devil's magic, and 30 were executed. Despite this happening in 1692, as recently as 2022 victims were still being exonerated from their convictions.

Despite this history, Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo asserts that Salem is a "diverse, vibrant, and welcoming community" and the Police Department of Salem is "committed to ensuring the safety of all who live in, work in, or visit our community." Basically: Just because someone is a member of the Satanic Temple doesn't mean they deserve to be attacked.

As for Terpstra, Salem won't need to worry about him anytime soon. His bond is currently set at 1 million dollars.