- Suspect crashed vehicle into Temple Israel Thursday before being shot by security guards.
- Investigation is ongoing to determine the suspect's identity and motive.
- One security guard hospitalized after being struck by the suspect's vehicle.
An armed attacker rammed his vehicle into one of the nation’s largest reform synagogues at midday Thursday, even as security personnel opened fire, fatally shooting the man.
According to media reports, local police responded to incident at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.
The Associated Press reported that the attacker was met with gunfire from at least one of several security guards at the house of worship.
The vehicle caught fire after driving through a set of doors, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, according to NBC News.
The suspect was killed in the incident, though police did not confirm the cause of death. Bouchard noted the suspect may have died from a security guard’s gunfire or a self-inflicted injury.
Bouchard praised the efforts of the security team and first responders, NBC News reported.
“Everything that was supposed to happen, happened,” Bouchard said. “Security did their job, and then the responders did theirs.”
No one inside the synagogue was hurt. All 140 students as well as staff, teachers and “heroic security personnel” were accounted for, the temple shared in a post on Facebook.
One security guard was hospitalized after being hit by the suspect’s vehicle but is expected to be OK, the sheriff noted.
Shortly after the incident, FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that federal personnel were on the scene.
Attorney General Pam Bondi also confirmed that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene to help local authorities.
The investigation is still in early stages and authorities are still working to identify the suspect and his motive, according to The Associated Press.
Recent attacks on houses of worship
Houses of worship, particularly synagogues, have seen a rise in violence in recent months.
Synagogues worldwide have increased security since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran on Feb. 28, The Associated Press reports.
In January, a Mississippi synagogue was the victim of arson, while an attacker in Brooklyn repeatedly crashed a vehicle into a synagogue entrance. No injuries were reported in either incident, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Thursday’s attack comes 5½ months after an attacker drove a vehicle into a Latter-day Saint church building in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, setting fire to the meetinghouse and shooting four people before he was killed.
West Bloomfield is 40 miles southwest of Grand Blanc.
Later Thursday, President Donald Trump said the White House is sending “our love” to Michigan’s Jewish community, according to CNN.
“Before we begin, I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in Detroit, Detroit area, following the attack on the Jewish synagogue early today, and I’ve been briefed, fully briefed and it’s a terrible thing,” Trump said.
The incident in West Bloomfield has prompted cities including Washington, D.C., and New York City to increase police presence at Jewish institutions and other places of worship, according to NBC News.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement, “This is heartbreaking. Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog shared he spoke with Jewish leaders in Michigan “to receive an update on the situation and to express our solidarity.”
“I am relieved to hear that there were no casualties,” he said. “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.”
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams took to X to warn against antisemitism becoming “normalized across America.”
About Temple Israel
The Temple Israel synagogue says it is “the nation’s largest Reform synagogue,” and accounts for 1% of the Reform movement in North America.
The synagogue serves around 12,000 members of its congregation, including 3,500 families, according to the temple.
It offers educational programs for children, families and adults.
“At Temple Israel, our mission is to be an inclusive congregation that demonstrates respect for the needs of all,” the temple shares. “Our Jewish values embody the teaching that every human being is created in the image of God.”
