FBI investigating shooting at Temple Israel Synagogue near Detroit
The gunman is dead after a shooting at a synagogue in the Detroit area.
A Michigan man has died after driving into one of the nation’s largest synagogues, which also includes an early childhood center, local officials said.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the suspect drove into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, a suburb of Detroit. A synagogue security guard opened fire on the vehicle, which caught fire. The suspect’s cause of death remains unknown.
“As you have all heard, Temple Israel was the victim of a terrorist gunman who confronted and neutralized our security guards, who are true heroes,” synagogue staff said in a statement March 12. “Our teachers followed their training and kept our children safe and peaceful.”
Bouchard said one security guard was hospitalized after being hit by a vehicle, but is expected to recover. No other injuries were reported. Authorities were able to evacuate the temple school, which was in session at the time of the attack.
“Everyone is safe,” synagogue staff said in a statement. “All 140 students at Susan and Harold Ross Early Childhood Center, our wonderful staff, our brave teachers, and our brave security guards are all safe and sound.”
Bouchard said there was no active threat to the community and local police lifted the shelter-in-place advisory around 3 p.m. local time.
Tears and smiles from childhood, parents leave Temple Israel after attack
Immediately after the attack, parents rushed to the scene to search for their children who attended the temple school.
One mother, her eyes red and frantic, told police at the scene: “I’m trying to get to my baby.” The policeman let her through.
Three school buses carrying children were safely escorted by police to a safe location at the nearby Shenandoah Country Club. The children held hands with each other and with their teachers.
“Okay, kids,” one teacher said to the children.
At around 3:30 p.m. local time, more than 100 adults and children, some in the arms of their parents and others carried on their shoulders, were seen leaving Temple Israel.
The children reached out and touched the existing fire engine. Some parents and children were laughing and high-fiving each other. Some parents cried.
Attack under investigation
Authorities said the suspect’s car crashed into a door in the synagogue hallway and burst into flames after being fired by security guards. Video from the scene shows smoke billowing from the building.
Bouchard said authorities were working to determine if there were any potential explosives in the area. Bomb-sniffing dogs and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on scene. Federal authorities are expected to take the lead in future investigations.
It is not yet clear whether anyone else was involved, Bouchard added. He also said authorities do not know if the suspect fired any shots during the attack.
Attack occurs at one of the country’s largest synagogues
Temple Israel bills itself as “the nation’s largest Reform synagogue,” with more than 12,000 members. According to its website, its history dates back to 1941.
In January, the FBI led an active shooter training exercise with Temple Israel clergy and staff, according to a post on X from the bureau’s Detroit field office. The training will allow staff and clergy to “practice the decision-making process of the run, hide, fight principles and take the actions necessary to survive,” the post said.
The shooting occurred amid growing concerns about domestic attacks amid the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran. Bouchard said authorities will investigate the suspect’s motives, but it’s too early to speculate.
Trump, other officials react
President Donald Trump addressed the shooting in an unrelated news conference.
“I want to send my love to Michigan’s Jewish community and everyone in the Detroit area following the attack on a Jewish synagogue earlier today,” President Trump said at a Women’s History Month event. “I’ve been briefed – I’ve been fully briefed – and as awful as it is, it’s still going on. We’re going to thoroughly investigate the facts of the incident. It’s just unbelievable that something like this could happen.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer thanked law enforcement for their quick action in a statement.
“This is heartbreaking,” she said. “Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Anti-Semitism and violence have no place in Michigan.”
Contributors: Bart Jansen for USA TODAY, John Wisely, Andrea May Sahouri, Nushrat Rahman and Darcie Moran for The Detroit Free Press, Part of the USA TODAY Network
