Suspect in Michigan synagogue attack dead after ramming car into temple, police say
No other major injuries were reported at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, a major Reform synagogue that also has a preschool
Law enforcement respond near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter on March 12, 2026 in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images
By Hannah Feuer and Louis KeeneMarch 12, 2026
A suspect who rammed his truck into a major Detroit area synagogue Thursday afternoon is believed to be dead, law enforcement said, with no other major injuries reported.
The FBI and local law enforcement responded to reports of an attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a prominent Reform synagogue that also hosts a preschool.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard of Oakland County said the suspect drove through the building’s front doors and down a hallway, hitting a security guard and knocking him unconscious. A second security guard shot into the vehicle, though Bouchard said it was unclear whether the suspect had been killed by the guard or turned a gun on himself.
“Security did their job,” Bouchard said.
No one other than the security guard was hurt, Bouchard said, and the injured security guard was brought to the hospital and is expected to recover.
Photo and video reported by local news showed smoke billowing from the synagogue building and a massive police presence in the area. Bouchard said that something had ignited in the vehicle, causing the smoke.
It was unclear how many children were in the preschool at the time but they were all safe and accounted for, along with their teachers.
Bouchard said that families of the preschool children were being reunited with them.
Bouchard said religious institutions in the area had been on high alert in the last few weeks, adding that the chief of police had recently been in touch with the synagogue’s head of security, though law enforcement were not aware of any specific threats directed at Temple Israel.
The FBI said two months ago it had conducted an active shooter training with Temple Israel clergy and staff. The FBI and other security groups had also provided training to the Colleyville synagogue where hostages were taken in 2022, which Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker credited for saving the hostages’ lives.
Bouchard added that police are continuing to search the area for any potential explosive devices.
A lockdown has been lifted after police directed schools and houses of worship in the area to shelter in place.
Temple Israel advertises itself as the largest Reform synagogue in the nation, according to its website, with its outdoor summer services often drawing upwards of 1,500 people.
The synagogue calendar listed an exercise class for seniors, “Movement on the Mind,” scheduled for Thursday afternoon, along with a food pantry program and a few other events.
The incident comes amid a string of recent attacks on synagogues, including shots fired at three congregations in Toronto over the past two weeks and an explosion in front of a synagogue in Belgium earlier this week being investigated as an act of terrorism. In January, an arsonist set fire to Beth Israel Congregation in Mississippi, severely damaging the synagogue.
“This is heartbreaking. Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted to X. “Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan.”
