An attacker armed with a rifle rammed his vehicle into one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United States on Thursday, driving through a hallway as security officers opened fire, fatally shooting him, authorities said.
Jennifer Runyan said at a news conference that the incident was “deeply disturbing and tragic”. She said the Federal Bureau of Investigation was leading the investigation and described the crime as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community”.
The vehicle caught fire after crashing into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, just outside Detroit, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press.
None of the synagogue’s staff, teachers or the 140 children at its early childhood centre were injured, Mike Bouchard said. The attacker drove through a set of doors and into a hallway where something inside the vehicle ignited, Bouchard said.
"He was travelling with purpose down the hall, from my look at the video," Bouchard said.
Investigators are still working to identify the man and determine a possible motive, said a person familiar with the investigation who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss details publicly. The person cautioned that the investigation is still in its early stages.
Smoke billowed from the synagogue in the minutes after the attack. One security officer was struck by the vehicle and knocked unconscious, but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, the sheriff said. About 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
The synagogue has multiple security officers, Bouchard said, and at least one of them fired at the suspect, who was later found dead inside his vehicle.
“We can’t say what killed him at this point, but security did engage the suspect with gunfire,” the sheriff said, adding that it was possible the attacker died by suicide or from another cause.
Bouchard said he has reached out to communities in surrounding areas with significant houses of worship and large Jewish populations to offer support and resources.
“This community takes care of each other,” he said.
He credited preparation and training for the swift response, noting that he had contacted the synagogue’s head of security just two days before the attack.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the synagogue praised its security personnel, calling them “truly heroes” for neutralising the gunman.
“Our teachers followed their training and kept the children safe and calm,” the statement said.
Parents rushed to the synagogue to collect their children who were inside at the time of the attack.
