A suspect drove a car into a synagogue near Detroit on Thursday, dying after a confrontation with security, the county sheriff said.
One security officer at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, was hit by the vehicle and hospitalized but is expected to recover, and no one else inside was injured, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. Bomb dogs were on site in order to clear the vehicle for any possible explosives out of an abundance of caution.
The assailant was identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old native of Lebanon who was granted U.S. citizenship in 2016, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
The attack unfolded at Temple Israel, which describes itself on its website as the country’s largest Jewish Reform congregation. The synagogue, roughly 25 miles north of Detroit, also has an early childhood education center.
Bouchard, the sheriff, said all the children had been safely evacuated.
The FBI was responding to “the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation” at the synagogue, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X.
Video of the scene showed a large presence of police and other first responders at the scene. Smoke could be seen billowing from different parts of the building.
Michigan State Police asked community members to stay away from the area to allow for police response.
“Troopers are also increasing patrols at other places of worship in the district,” the state police wrote in a post on X.
In the hours immediately after the attack, the sheriff told reporters it’s “way too early” to talk about a possible motive.
The shooting comes amid the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, which began Feb. 28. Security around Jewish communities in places like New York has been heightened since the conflict began.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on X that she was tracking reports of the shooting, calling it “heartbreaking.”
“This is heartbreaking. Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace,” Whitmer wrote. “Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan. I am hoping for everyone’s safety.”
Eric Gutman, a longtime Temple Israel congregant, described the incident as “just horrific.”
“All you can do is hope no one is hurt or worse,” he told MS NOW. “It’s really hard for me to speak on this.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Marc Santia, Joe Danborn and Didi Martinez contributed reporting.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW, with a focus on how global events and foreign policy shape U.S. politics. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
Hayley Meissner is the senior producer for MS NOW’s Breaking News and Blogs team.