Michigan synagogue attack was targeted act of violence against Jewish community
The FBI said the attack at a synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, is being investigated as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community after a man drove into the building, exchanged gunfire with security and died at the scene.
The incident happened at about 12:19 p.m. Thursday at Temple Israel, according to West Bloomfield Police Chief Dale Young. He said officers arrived in less than five minutes after a 911 call reporting an active shooter situation and found that temple security had already engaged the suspect and neutralized the threat.
FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said the FBI is leading the investigation with state, local and federal partners. “Right now, it’s a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” she said.
Runyan said there was one suspect, who is now dead. She said investigators were not prepared to release additional information about the suspect or a motive.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said no children or staff members were hurt and credited the synagogue’s security team with stopping the threat. “The security staff did an amazing job. They stopped a threat,” he said.
Bouchard said one of the synagogue’s security leaders was taken to the hospital after being struck and knocked down by the vehicle when it breached the building.
He said 30 law enforcement officers were also taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation after the building became engulfed in smoke while officers from multiple agencies went inside to search for the threat and evacuate those inside.
“A lot of our folks from my SWAT team and other agencies are still in treatment because that building became engulfed,” Bouchard said. “When it did, it caused terrible, terrible smoke in that part of the building.
“When all of our people collectively went in that building to search out the threat, to remove the innocent, a lot of them took a significant amount of smoke inhalation and are at the hospital being treated,” Bouchard added.
According to ABC News, the suspect is believed to have had a rifle. The outlet also reported that officials believe he steered around security bollards before crashing through the building’s front doors, and that the vehicle then caused a fire.
Temple Israel said all 140 students, along with staff, teachers and security personnel, were accounted for.
The synagogue had recently received active shooter prevention and preparedness training from the FBI Detroit field office, according to ABC News, which cited an earlier FBI social media post about the January session for staff and clergy.
Sheriff Bouchard said law enforcement had already been in contact with the synagogue before the attack.
“Obviously what happens around the world sometimes affects us, so we had to think about it, be prepared for it,” Bouchard said. “So we been talking, I texted actually the head of security from the temple two days ago and communicated some information to him.”
Authorities have not said whether the incident was connected to the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran or to the attack at Virginia’s Old Dominion University also on Thursday, which is being investigated as terrorism.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
