A suspect is dead after ramming a truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday afternoon, in what the FBI said was a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.” No victims were killed inside the synagogue, officials said. Here’s what we know about the incident.
Ramming attack
Around 1:35 p.m. Thursday, police responded to reports of shots fired in the area of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, a suburb northwest of Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
Bouchard said a man drove through the doors of the building and down a hallway, and that security engaged the suspect with gunfire. Law enforcement sources told CBS News the suspect exited the vehicle with a rifle and was confronted and killed by synagogue security. Bouchard, however, said the suspect was found dead in the vehicle, and said he couldn’t specify if he was killed by security. It was not immediately clear if the suspect fired any shots.
“In situations like this, you never know, if somebody is trapped somewhere, sometimes they kill themselves,” Bouchard said.
According to Secure Community Network, which provides security for Jewish institutions across the country, there were two suspects in the vehicle, although Bouchard said it appeared there was only one.
Two law enforcement sources told CBS News there were mortar-type explosives in the vehicle, which caught fire when it rammed into the building.
“Something ignited in the vehicle. That’s a work in progress,” Bouchard said.
One of the lead security personnel who was hit by the vehicle when it rammed the building was taken to an area hospital for treatment. They are expected to be OK, Bouchard said.
Bouchard said 30 law enforcement officers were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation.
Bloomfield police said around 3:30 p.m. that “the area has been secured and there are no active threats to the community.”
Who is the suspect in the Michigan synagogue attack?
Authorities did not immediately identify the attacker or elaborate on a motive.
Two law enforcement sources told CBS News the suspect’s body was badly burned, complicating identification.
The vehicle used in the attack is registered under the name of a man who lived in the Dearborn, Michigan, area.
The FBI is leading the investigation.
Details on Temple Israel
Temple Israel is the largest Reform synagogue in the United States, according to its website. The facility also houses a school that includes an early childhood center and kindergarten.
The synagogue said there were 140 students at the center on Thursday and that they and all teachers and staff were safe and accounted for.
Officials react to attack
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the attack “every community’s worst nightmare.”
“Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan,” Whitmer said in an earlier statement.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a statement saying in part, “Antisemitism has no place in Michigan and cannot be tolerated. In moments like these, it’s more important than ever that we come together, stand with our neighbors, confront hate whenever it appears, and build stronger communities.”
At an event to mark Women’s History Month, President Trump said Thursday, “I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in the Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today,” calling the attack a “terrible thing” and vowing to get “right down to the bottom of it.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on social media that he spoke with Jewish leaders in Detroit following the attack, adding, “This is a grave and serious incident that follows a series of attacks on Jewish institutions around the world. Tonight, we send a message of strength and support from Israel to the Jewish community in Michigan.”
