A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into a major synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was fatally shot by security, The Associated Press has learned.
That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday. The vehicle caught on fire after crashing into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, the person said.
The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
“No kids or no staff were injured whatsoever,” Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said. He said one security officer was hit by the vehicle but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
Synagogues around the world have increased security and protections for worshippers since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran on Feb. 28.
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Israel foreign minister expresses shock
In a post on social media, Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said: “Shocked by the attack on a synagogue near Detroit. We are in contact with the Jewish community and local authorities. Antisemitism must never be allowed to rear its ugly head.”
It was not immediately known who carried out the attack or a possible motive.
Mom of girl who goes to day care at synagogue: ‘I was in complete and utter shock’
Allison Jacobs’s 18-month-old daughter goes to day care at Temple Israel, and got word of the attack.
“There are no words. I was in complete and utter shock,” she told the AP. “I was hoping that it was a false report. You know, sometimes that can happen.”
Jacobs said she tries not to think about all that’s going on in the world.
“You never think that this is actually going to happen to you,” she said. “But I know that it’s — it’s just terrible. This morning I was mourning the loss of the school that got hit in Iran.”
Trump says he’s been ‘fully briefed’ on attack on synagogue outside Detroit
The president said at a White House event marking Women’s History Month, “I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people” in the Detroit area.
Trump added, “It’s a terrible thing, but it goes on” and said that authorities would be working to get “right down to the bottom of it.”
“It’s absolutely incredible that things like this happen,” Trump said.
He then returned to his prepared remarks, without providing details on the investigation.
Rabbi, survivor of Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, decries attack
Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, a survivor of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, said the Michigan attack demonstrates yet again the consequences of hatred.
“We lose our humanity when we seek violent means as a solution,” Myers said in a statement. “No one should dwell in fear because of who they are.”
Myers is rabbi of the Tree of Life Congregation, where 11 worshippers from three congregations were killed in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The gunman is now on death row.
It was not immediately known who carried out the attack or a possible motive.
Muslim civil rights group condemns attack on synagogue
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is condemning the incident.
“There is no justification for anyone to direct violence toward any house or worship or religious institution,” it said in a statement.
Investigators were still working to identify the man and a possible motive for the attack, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
The person cautioned that the investigation was still in the early stages.
CAIR is a Muslim civil right and advocacy organization.
Synagogue houses early childhood center
Authorities said none of those who attended were injured.
“No kids or no staff were injured whatsoever,” Oakland County Sheriff Sheriff Mike Bouchard.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s office cleared the building and about a dozen parents sprinted to get their children from the early childhood learning center inside. West Bloomfield School District went on lockdown.
Security guard hurt after car rams into synagogue
Police say a security guard was injured after a car crashed into a synagogue outside Detroit on Thursday.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said a person drove a car through Temple Israel’s doors and was driving down the hall with “purpose” and struck a security guard.
Security personnel opened fire on the vehicle, Bouchard said.
One person was found dead in the car although Bouhchard said it’s unclear how that person died. The injured security guard was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, Bouchard said.
Synagogues have been on edge since Iran war
Synagogues around the world have been on edge and ramping up security since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran with missile strikes on Feb. 28.
The FBI has warned that Iranian operatives may be planning drone attacks on targets in California. Two men brought explosives Saturday to a far-right protest outside the New York mayoral mansion on Saturday. Investigators allege they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group.
In a similar incident to what happened in West Bloomfield Township, an assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year in October. He stabbed two people to death before officers shot and killed him.
Seeking identity of attacker
The vehicle caught on fire after crashing into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday.
Investigators were still working to identify the man and a possible motive for the attack. The person cautioned that the investigation is still in the early stages
The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
Oakland County Sheriff Sheriff Mike Bouchard confirmed during an earlier news conference that security at the synagogue had engaged in gunfire with at least one person, and that no one was in custody.
Gunman rams vehicle into synagogue
A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into the nation’s largest Reform synagogue, a source tells The Associated Press. The attack occurred at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township.
Source tells AP: Gunman was killed by security
A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into a major synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was fatally shot by security. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person said the vehicle caught on fire after crashing into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township.
Investigators are still working to identify the man and a possible motive for the attack. The person cautioned that the investigation is still in the early stages The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
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