Key Points
- The suspect was found dead inside his vehicle after driving through the synagogue’s doors.
- US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the attack, calling it terrible.
An armed individual who crashed his truck into a Michigan synagogue, while children attended preschool inside, was shot and killed during a confrontation with security personnel.
The incident unfolded when a truck burst into flames after colliding with Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, near Detroit. The driver, armed with a rifle, was fatally shot by security officers, according to a source who spoke to the Associated Press.
Fortunately, neither the synagogue’s staff nor the children at the early childhood center suffered any injuries, as confirmed by Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.
The suspect drove the vehicle through a set of doors, crashing into a hallway, where something inside the truck caught fire, Sheriff Bouchard explained.
“The video shows he was moving with determination down the hall,” Bouchard noted.
According to CNN, which cited multiple law enforcement officials, a significant stockpile of explosives was discovered in the back of the suspect’s vehicle.
Bouchard said investigators were still searching the vehicle as well as the building for any explosives or incendiary materials.
In the minutes after the attack, smoke billowed from the synagogue.
He said one security officer was hit by the vehicle and knocked unconscious but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
The synagogue has multiple security officers, he said, and at least one fired at the suspect, who was found dead inside his vehicle.
Allison Jacobs, whose 18-month-old daughter is enrolled in Temple Israel’s day care, said she got a message from a teacher saying the children were OK even before she knew what happened.
“There are no words. I was in complete and utter shock,” she told the Associated Press. “I was hoping that it was a false report.”
Temple Israel issued a statement saying all 140 students from its early childhood centre were safe. The incident comes amid a spike in antisemitism in the US over the last two years.
“Antisemitism has no place in Michigan and cannot be tolerated,” Michigan’s attorney general Dana Nessel said in a statement.
“In moments like these, it’s more important than ever that we come together, stand with our neighbours, confront hate whenever it appears, and build stronger communities.”
Bouchard said there had been the “potential” of such an incident happening for two weeks, after Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran, triggering war in the Middle East.
“So there was no lack of preparation,” Bouchard said on CNN. “All Jewish facilities in the area are going to have a lot of extra presence around it until we figure this out.”
US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the attack, calling it terrible.
“I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in the Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today,” he said.
In a post on social media, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said he was shocked by the attack.
“We are in contact with the Jewish community and local authorities. Anti-Semitism must never be allowed to rear its ugly head.”
— With additional reporting by the Associated Press via the Australian Associated Press.
