An ‘active situation’ at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday afternoon prompted a massive police response. Notably, the synagogue houses a K-12 preschool, which sparked concern whether students in the shooting are safe amid the reported active shooter situation. The suspect is now dead, per reports.
However, according to the website of Temple Israel synagogue, the school was not in session and there were no students present when the active shooter situation broke out.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that the Temple Israel synagogue was holding a reunification event at The Jewish Centre, for which the students were removed from the pre-school. As of now there are no reports of injuries from the shooting.
In an update on their Facebook page, the Sheriff’s office stated: “OCSO and multiple agencies on scene at Temple Israel West Bloomfield for reports of an active shooter. Emergency personnel clearing the building.”
Oakland County officials confirmed that a car filled with explosive was involved in the attack. NBC 5 Chicago reported that the suspect rammed a car into the synagogue first and then fired shots at the building. The suspect was killed during the incident, though it is unclear who killed him.
Temple Israel Confirms Students’ Safety
In a Facebook post afterwards, the Temple Israel synagogue confirmed that all 140 students in the school and their staff member were safe amid the attack. Only a security guard was injured while engaging with the suspect with gunfire, the Oakland County Sheriff said.
The statement from the synagogue said: “All 140 students in our Susan and Harold Loss Early Childhood Center, our amazing staff, our courageous teachers, and our heroic security personnel are all accounted for and safe.”
