Suspect shot dead after crashing truck into Michigan synagogue
Authorities who responded to the incident at Temple Israel Synagogue near Detroit said it was unclear whether the suspect was armed
A suspect crashed his truck into the hallway of a Detroit-area synagogue where children were attending preschool on Thursday and was shot dead in a confrontation with security staff, with no one else seriously injured, authorities said.
The attack unfolded during a recent surge in US antisemitic incidents and in a period of heightened security concerns around Jewish and Muslim places of worship since US and Israeli forces launched air strikes on Iran on February 28, sparking an intensifying war across the Middle East.
Michigan State Police reported an active shooting incident at about 12.30pm local time at Temple Israel Synagogue in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield. It was unclear from preliminary briefings by police whether the suspect was actually armed with a gun and if so whether he used it in his attack.
CBS News reported the suspect had a rifle, citing two sources, which Reuters could not immediately verify.
“We can’t say what killed him at this point but security did engage the suspect with gunfire,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters.
Bouchard said the suspect, who was not immediately identified, breached the entrance to the building in his truck and drove the vehicle down the hall before a security officer fired at him. Another security officer was struck by the vehicle and briefly knocked unconscious.