Salamah Bassem Audi, 35, of Hagerstown, MD, is facing a raft of charges for threatening to burn down several churches in the surrounding area. She has been charged with several counts of threatening arson, as well as making a threat of mass violence against the City of God in Hagerstown on Dec. 21, 2024. State Fire Marshalls report that the threats occurred on Dec. 21, Jan. 17, and Jan. 25.
The woman issued specific threats against Gateway Experience Church near Williamsport, MD. She also targeted the homes of two pastors. Court documents state that she had attended both Gateway and City of God. All of the charges were misdemeanors. She has previous arrest records both within the state and in West Virginia. Audi was taken into custody over the weekend.
As of Monday, the would-be-arsonist was held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center. However, she was released. It is unknown if she paid bail. She stands accused of making threats against both churches online. The threats were made on her blog. Audi took aim at Gateway Experience Church, City of God, and leaders from both congregations.
A report posted by city fire marshalls said, “Salamah Bassem Audi, 35, was arrested yesterday after investigators were notified of multiple threats made against Gateway Experience Church in Williamsport, The City of God in Hagerstown, and the church’s pastors last week. Investigators described the threatening messages as written in an online blog.”
City Firemarshalls reported that she posted a plan “to blow up the pastor of a Hagerstown house of worship into ‘itty bitty pieces’ while he was on his way to his car.” She allegedly made threats against police as well. She wrote, “I’m busting city of gods windows while they’re in church. Cops or no Cops. I’ll handle the police too.” The arrest was completed without incident.
“With the assistance of the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC), investigators were able to link the blog to Audi,” the report added. “Subsequently, a warrant was obtained, and with the assistance of the Hagerstown Police Department, Audi was arrested without incident and charged with two counts of arson threat and one count of threat of mass violence.
On Sept. 17, 2024, the embattled woman pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of malicious destruction of property. Audi damaged a window at Gateway Ministries with a rock. At the time, a pastor told police that the woman had become obsessed with the church. He described her behavior as “radicalistic.” The church leader had banned her from the property and filed for a no-trespass letter.
On social media, users reacted to the case. One poster said, “So you threaten to kill the pastor and bomb the church but are released………you can’t make that stuff up!” “She shouldn’t have been released. She is a threat . If she can say things like that toward a pastor she has an evil mind” another user replied. One commenter asked “Why didn’t they put her in a mental hospital. Released her back into the community she threatened, how dumb is that?”