A Texas man who torched an Austin synagogue in a hate-fueled blaze that shocked the local community has been handed a 10-year prison sentence, officials declared. The arsonist, Franklin Sechriest, 20, was also hit with a $470,000 restitution bill to cover the damages at Congregation Beth Israel, with the grim details of his antisemitic rampage emerging in court proceedings and a U.S. Department of Justice announcement, as stated in AP news.

Sechriest, a former Texas State Guard member and Texas State University student, carried out the attack on Halloween 2021, his burning hatred encapsulated in journal entries discovered by federal investigators that not only laid bare his loathing for the Jewish community but disturbingly chronicled his determined steps to “scout a target” and set the fire. Security footage pinned Sechriest's Jeep at the site right before the flames took hold, showing him hauling a large container and flammable materials to the doors of the sanctuary, where he fled as the fire engulfed, according to AP News.

During the sentencing, Sechriest was seen conveying remorse to his parents, mouthing "I’m sorry" in a poignant courtroom moment. His attorney, Daniel Wannamaker, painted Sechriest as a misled and isolated youth susceptible to indoctrination by online hate groups, arguing that mental illness and autism played roles in the radicalization, USA TODAY reported.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke condemned the attack, stating "This hate-filled act of violence against a house of worship was an attempt to sow fear in the Jewish community and was intended to intimidate its congregants," declaring a steadfast resolve to prosecute antisemitic violence vigorously, in accord with AP news.