One person was injured Thursday after a man drove his car into a synagogue in Michigan, and the suspect was found dead in his vehicle, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.No children or staff were injured in the incident at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, but one of the security guards was taken to the hospital after being hit by the vehicle, Bouchard said, CNN reported. The guard is expected to recover.
Officials said 30 other law enforcement officers have been treated for smoke inhalation after the vehicle caught fire following the crash.
No motive for the incident has been reported so far, though the FBI has described the crash as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” and the suspect has not been publicly identified. However, the vehicle was registered to a man in Dearborn Heights, who was originally from Lebanon, per CNN.
Bouchard said that the suspect drove through the doors of the building and down the hall, and that officials believe there was only one person in the car. He also noted that security saw and engaged the suspect in gunfire.
Multiple law enforcement officials told the media outlet that emergency responders found what appeared to be a large amount of explosives in the back of the vehicle.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were “on the scene assisting local authorities at Temple Israel synagogue.”
The West Bloomfield Police Department urged residents to avoid the area, citing an “active situation,” the Detroit Free Press reported.
Michigan State Police’s Second District said troopers are increasing patrols at other places of worship in the district.
According to its website, Temple Israel is the largest Reform synagogue in the U.S.
West Bloomfield High School, West Bloomfield Middle School, Doherty Elementary School, and Bloomfield Hills Schools are currently in secure mode, CBS News reported.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit urged all Jewish organizations to go into “lockout protocol.”
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