Philadelphia Mosque Arson: 60-Year-Old Man Charged

IQNA – A man has been charged with arson in relation to a fire last week at a mosque in Philadelphia.

News ID: 3498301

Date: 17 July 2026 - 14:18

The US Department of Justice announced on Thursday that Vincent Lang, 60, of Philadelphia was arrested and charged "with one count ​of maliciously damaging or destroying by means ​of fire any building or property used in interstate commerce, or attempting to do so, in ​connection with an arson fire last week at a ​city mosque."

The criminal complaint alleges that on July 5, Lang approached the Northeast Philadelphia ​Islamic Center, lit an improvised incendiary device, and ​threw it into the entryway of the mosque, triggering a ‌fire inside the building.

If convicted, Lang faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years' imprisonment, the DOJ said.

An ​NBC News ​affiliate reported no one was injured in the incident that the DOJ said took place ​in the "early hours" of July 5.

Read More: {$sepehr_key_14295}

A representative ​of Lang could not be reached for comment.

US rights advocates have noted rising Islamophobia in the decades following the September 11, 2001 ​attacks, and more recently because ​of anti-immigration policies, white supremacy and the fallout from Israel's war in Gaza.

Source: Reuters