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The suspect in the Michigan synagogue attack was armed with a rifle and rammed a vehicle into the building, officials said.
WASHINGTON — A man, armed with a rifle, crashed a vehicle into the nation’s largest Reform synagogue in a Detroit suburb on Thursday and is dead, authorities said.
Officials said security at the synagogue had engaged in gunfire with the suspect. One person was found dead in the car though it’s unclear how that person died.
The incident happened at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said no children or staff were injured in the attack, though a security guard was injured after the car crashed into the synagogue. The security guard was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.
“No one was hurt, we’re on top of it,” Bouchard told reporters.
Investigators were still working to identify the man and a possible motive for the attack.
Sheriff Bouchard said that a car breached the building and drove down a hallway, through the doors of the synagogue. He said the vehicle caught on fire after something was ignited in the car.
Police near Detroit responded to the reports of an “active shooter” and “vehicle ramming” situation at the synagogue on Thursday.
Bouchard said private security guards at the synagogue engaged the suspect and shots were fired. Footage from the scene shows dozens of police vehicles surrounding the building, which had smoke billowing from the roof.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s office said authorities are clearing the building. About a dozen parents sprinted to get their children from an early childhood learning center inside the building after getting approval from police. West Bloomfield School District went on lockdown.
Temple Israel describes itself as the nation’s largest Reform synagogue and says its congregation includes 1% of all Reform Jews in North America. It offers educational programs for families and adults.
The website says the synagogue is “passionate about helping Jewish communities across the globe” and that its mission is to “create a community building through the lens of Reform Judaism.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said earlier on Thursday that agents are on scene of an “apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation” at the synagogue.
“FBI personnel are on the scene with partners in Michigan and responding to the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation out of Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield Township,” Patel said in an X post.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit initially advised all Jewish organizations in the area “to go into lockout protocol — nobody in or out of your building.”
In a post on X, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was aware of the incident and was working to get more information as the situation develops.
“I am tracking reports of an active shooting at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. We are working with Michigan State Police to get more information,” Whitmer said. “This is heartbreaking. Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan. I am hoping for everyone’s safety.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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