Photo: Alamy
Reports on Thursday indicated that an active security incident was unfolding at a Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, as footage surfaced online of what appeared to be a fire within the structure.
According to ABC, authorities were responding to a potential active shooter situation at Temple Israel, although few other details are known at this point. Local FOX2 Detroit reported that schools in the area were ordered to proceed with a lockdown, and that the Jewish Federation of Detroit had ordered its organizations to follow lockdown protocol as well.
Some reports on social media suggested that the fire at Temple Israel may have been caused by a vehicle ramming into the building. It’s unclear if this was the cause of the potential fire, but FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that there were reports of a “vehicle ramming.”
Director Patel released his initial statement on the situation shortly after reports of the incident surfaced, writing, “FBI personnel are on the scene with partners in Michigan and responding to the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation out of Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan.”
Temple Israel is reportedly home to a religious school – an Early Childhood Center that includes a Kindergarten option, according to its website – but it is unclear if there were children on-site at the time of this incident.
An early report from Fox News said that “security saw the gunman and engaged him at the temple,” and, as of Thursday afternoon, the gunman was not in custody. No immediate reports about casualties or wounded at this time.
This situation at Temple Israel comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, as Israel jointly strikes Iran in Operation Epic Fury. When asked about the potential threat posed by Iranian “sleeper cells” in the United States, President Donald Trump told reporters on Wednesday, “We know where most of them are. We’ve got our eye on all of them, I think. They came in through the open border policies of Sleepy Joe Biden…we’ve got our eyes on all of them.”
Update: Fox News’ Bill Melugin was told by law enforcement sources that the alleged shooter was killed in a potential shootout with armed security at Temple Israel. There is no ID for the suspect yet.
This is a developing story.