A suspect died after breaking into the Temple Israel synagogue in the Detroit region on Thursday (12), Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said.
No one was seriously injured in the attack which could have been “much worse”, Bouchard said.
See the chronology of what is known so far about the attack
A vehicle arrived at the Temple Israel synagogue, which includes a day care center and a school, entered the building, went through the doors, down the hallway and “completely” entered the facility located in West Bloomfield Township, Bouchard said.
When the , several security guards who were at the scene saw him and fired shots, Bouchard said.
One of the main security guards was struck by the vehicle and was knocked unconscious before being removed from the scene by other members of his team, the sheriff said. He was taken to hospital for treatment and is stable, he added.
The sheriff could not say what killed the suspect, but noted that security exchanged gunfire and said the suspect had a rifle.
“You never know, when someone gets arrested, sometimes they end up killing themselves,” he added.
The suspect’s body was burned, two sources familiar with the matter said.
“Something caught fire inside the vehicle,” Bouchard said.
Emergency crews found what appeared to be a large quantity of explosives in the rear of the vehicle, according to multiple police officers at the scene.
Agents from the FBI and ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) arrived on the scene to assist in the investigation, but the sheriff’s department will likely lead the investigation, Bouchard said.
The more than 100 students enrolled at the education center are safe, the synagogue said in a Facebook post Thursday.
“All 140 students at our Susan and Harold Loss Early Learning Center, our incredible staff, our courageous teachers, and our heroic security team are all located and safe,” the synagogue said in the post.
Teachers used prior training to keep students safe and calm, according to the publication.
They are still working to clear the area, but believe they have located everyone in the building, Bouchard said. The reunification of families and children is underway, he added.
A significant number of bomb-sniffing dogs and technicians are on scene as authorities work to check the vehicle for explosives or other threats, the sheriff said.
Extra security will be added around Jewish spaces in the West Bloomfield Township area out of “extreme caution,” the sheriff said.
He said he had been talking to other local law enforcement agencies about the potential for violence over the past two weeks. Because of this incident, the synagogue was prepared and had security guards who “dealt with the threat,” Bouchard said.
US President Donald Trump said the White House is sending “our love” to Michigan’s Jewish community, in his first public comments since the attack on Temple Israel today.
“Before we begin, I want to send our love to the Jewish community of Michigan and to all the people in Detroit and the metro area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today. I have been informed, fully informed, and it is a terrible thing,” the president said in the East Room.
Israeli government
Israeli authorities expressed alarm at the attack on the synagogue.
“Shocked by the attack on a synagogue near Detroit,” Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar posted on Facebook, adding that the country is in contact with the Jewish community and local authorities.
“Anti-Semitism should never be tolerated,” he said.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he spoke with Jewish leaders in Detroit after the incident to receive updates and show solidarity with the local Jewish community.
“This is a serious and serious incident that adds to a series of attacks on Jewish institutions around the world,” Herzog said. “Tonight, we send a message of strength and support from Israel to the Jewish community in Michigan,” Herzog said.
(With information from Dana Karni, Amanda Musa and and CNN)
