A dramatic security response prevented what authorities say could have been a catastrophic attack at a Michigan synagogue on Thursday after a suspect drove an explosives-laden vehicle into the building where dozens of children were present.
According to the New York Post, the chaos unfolded just before 1 p.m. at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield when a driver crashed through the synagogue’s entrance and sped down a hallway inside the building.
At the time, approximately 140 preschool students were inside.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said armed security personnel immediately confronted the suspect and opened fire to stop the rampage.
The suspect was later found dead inside the vehicle.
“We can’t say what killed him at this point,” Bouchard said. “But security did engage the suspect with gunfire.”
Authorities said the car had been packed with dangerous materials. Law enforcement sources told The Post that a rifle was recovered inside the vehicle, and mortar shells were discovered in the rear.
Officials believe the vehicle was intended to function as a car bomb.
The crash also triggered a fire inside the synagogue. Aerial footage from local news outlets showed smoke rising from the building as police, firefighters, and emergency responders rushed to the scene.
Despite the frightening situation, all students and staff were safely evacuated.
Temple Israel later confirmed everyone inside the school had made it out safely.
“Everyone is safe,” the synagogue said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Our amazing staff, our courageous teachers, and our heroic security personnel are all accounted for and safe.”
The statement also praised the staff and security team for their response during the emergency.
The synagogue described the guards who stopped the suspect as “truly heroes,” adding that “teachers followed their training and kept the children safe and calm.”
One member of the synagogue’s security team was injured during the confrontation.
Authorities said the suspect’s vehicle struck a security guard, knocking him unconscious. The guard, described as the facility’s “lead security” officer, was transported to a nearby hospital.
Police said he is expected to recover.
Eight emergency responders were also treated for unspecified symptoms at Henry Ford Health System following the incident.
Nearly 200 police and sheriff’s department vehicles converged on the synagogue as bomb technicians and K-9 units searched the site and worked to secure the suspect’s vehicle.
Officials said bomb-sniffing dogs and explosives experts were deployed to ensure there were no additional threats.
Federal authorities quickly joined the investigation.
Speaking later from the East Room, Trump addressed the attack and expressed support for the affected community.
“Before we begin, I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in Detroit, Detroit area, following the attack on the Jewish synagogue early today, and I’ve been briefed, fully briefed, and it’s a terrible thing,” Trump said.
Temple Israel sits in Oakland County outside Detroit, an area known for having one of the largest Jewish populations in the United States outside the New York region.
Following the incident, police departments in several cities increased patrols at Jewish institutions and houses of worship as the investigation continues.
