(Detroit) An individual died Thursday after attacking a synagogue in West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, where a large law enforcement operation is underway.
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After being announced by several media outlets, his death was confirmed by Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, who also reported an injured security guard. Explosives were found on board the vehicle, according to CNN.
This person was taken to hospital and “should be OK,” said Mr. Bouchard, who spoke to the media near the Temple Israel synagogue, surrounded by police and emergency vehicles.
PHOTO COREY WILLIAMS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Numerous police officers were dispatched to the scene.
According to the sheriff, the suspect crashed into the doors of the building alone while driving a vehicle.
Security guards shot him as he went inside.
Mr. Bouchard, however, added “not being able to say at this stage what killed” the suspect.
While black smoke was still escaping from the building, according to images from the country’s televisions, explosive detection dogs and deminers were deployed on site.
This measure is an “excess of caution” continued the sheriff. “But, at present, we have no element that allows us to think so.”
“So we want people to take a deep breath,” he concluded. “Security did its job, then the emergency services did theirs. »
A little earlier, he assured the media that such a situation had been anticipated “for two weeks”, in an allusion to the armed offensive of the United States and Israel against Iran that began on February 28.
The FBI, federal police, and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) were also on scene.
The alert was issued by state police on X at 12:30 p.m. local time.
“Heartbreaking”
Temple Israel presents itself as the largest synagogue of Reform Judaism in the United States, the main movement in the country, characterized by a modern, inclusive and liberal approach.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit said Jewish community centers had been placed on precautionary lockdown. “We are asking community members to stay away from the area at this time,” she said.
Patrols have been increased around schools and places of worship, according to state and city police.
“It’s heartbreaking. Michigan’s Jewish community must be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Anti-Semitism and violence have no place in Michigan,” reacted the state’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, on X.
Justice Secretary Pam Bondi called for “pray” on the same network.
The head of Israeli diplomacy, Gideon Sa’ar, said he was “shocked”. “Anti-Semitism must never be allowed to rear its ugly head,” he posted on X.
Anti-Semitic incidents and attacks have increased in recent years in the United States.
In May 2025, a gunman opened fire in front of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, killing two Israeli embassy staff members.
