Shooting at Michigan Shul

Temple Israel attacker dead, guard injured, kids OK in West Bloomfield Skip to main content Home Election Voter Guide News Detroit Wayne Oakland Macomb Michigan Michigan Politics Education John Carlisle M.L. Elrick Neal Rubin Observer & Eccentric USA TODAY Detroit Is ... Temple Israel attacker dead, guard injured, kids safe: Latest updates John Wisely , Andrea May Sahouri , Nushrat Rahman , Darcie Moran Detroit Free Press Show Caption Hide Caption Video shows school buses being evacuated after Temple Israel attack Video captured a police officer running toward the scene of an "active shooter situation" at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on March 12, 2026. The reported attacker of a metro Detroit synagogue with an early childhood center is dead following a midday incident Thursday, March 12. Here's what we know: 3:47 p.m.: Temple Israel issues statement after attack Following the attack at its complex Thursday, March 12, Temple Israel issued a statement to Facebook saying all of its 140 students, staff, teachers and security personnel were safe and accounted for. The statement referred to the now deceased individual involved in the incident as a "terrorist gunman" who was "neutralized" by security. FBI's Kash Patel, US Attorney General Pam Bondi speak out after Temple Israel attack FBI Director Kash Patel, in a post on the social media site X shortly after the incident, confirmed that FBI personnel were present among the law enforcement who responded to the temple. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, posting on the same platform, called for prayers and stated the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, was at the scene, as well. That agency will commit all resources necessary for the investigation, ATF Deputy Director Robert Cekada said in a statement also posted to social media. “Attacks like these are serious crimes that threaten our communities and fundamental freedoms,” he said. 3:30 p.m.: Tears and smiles as toddlers, parents leave Temple Israel after attack In the immediate aftermath, parents rushed to the scene to look for their children who had been attending a Jewish day school at the temple. "I'm just trying to get to my baby," said one mother to an officer on scene, her eyes red with her pace and voice frantic. The officer let her through. Soon enough, three school buses full of children were safely escorted by police to safety at nearby Shenandoah Country Club. The children held hands with one another and adults who appeared to be their teachers. Some cried. “I got you, buddy,” one teacher told a child. More than 100 adults and children – toddlers in their parents' arms and on their shoulders - were also seen walking away from Temple Israel about 3:30 p.m., down Walnut Lake towards a parking lot. Children reached out to touch the firetrucks present. Some parents and children laughed, and a pair of parents even high-fived. Some parents cried, too. 3:16 p.m. Shelter in place near Temple Israel lifted West Bloomfield police issued an alert shortly after 3 p.m. March 12 that the shelter-in-place advisory had been lifted. Police continued to ask that the area of Walnut Lake Road between Farmington and Halstead roads be avoided. Temple Israel attacker's motive unclear, Oakland sheriff says Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said it’s too early to know the attacker’s motive,but he clearly intended harm. “He was travelling with purpose down the hall,” Bouchard told media members during a press conference in which he announced the individual was dead. There were no known specific threats to the facility or others in the area before the attack, Bouchard said. Given that the school is attached to a temple, Bouchard said he expects the FBI will become the lead investigative agency on the case. There have been several incidents targeting Jewish institutions and synagogues in metro Detroit in recent years. In February 2024, Knollwood Country Club, a predominantly Jewish country club in West Bloomfield, was vandalized with threatening remarks. In May 2024, a man who called himself a "Jew hater" targeted people outside Congregation Beth Shalom, a Jewish congregation in Oak Park, yelling at them, calling one of them a "baby killer," said Oak Park police. In April 2023, a Royal Oak synagogue , The Woodward Avenue Shul, was vandalized and in December 2022, a man drove to Temple Beth El , a Bloomfield Township synagogue, yelling antisemitic remarks at parents and children, police said. 2:37 p.m.: Temple Israel attacker dead, security guard injured The individual who drove a vehicle into Temple Israel on Thursday, March 12 is dead, the Oakland County sheriff has said. The individual was shot at by security that engaged with them as the incident unfolded, said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard to media members at scene. Details are still being confirmed, but it appears that the attacker is the only fatality in the incident, the sheriff said. The only other injury was a security guard struck by the vehicle and knocked unconscious, the sheriff said. “We have no victims, other than the one security person who was hit by the (truck) and taken to a local hospital,” Bouchard said. “That individual should be OK.” Bouchard said it appears the attacker rammed a truck through the doors of Temple Israel and the truck traveled down the hall of the school into the building. One security officer was struck by the vehicle. Another fired shots that vehicle, which caught fire. The attacker died in the truck, though it’s unclear at this point if he was struck by shots from the security guard or perhaps, Bouchard said, a self-inflicted injury. It’s not clear if the attacker fired shots after breaching the building, he said. Bouchard said that “out of an abundance of caution” investigators were checking the vehicle for possible explosives. “We’ve got a significant number of bomb dogs ... bomb techs on site, and that’s going to be done to check all the boxes,” Bouchard said. By 2:20 p.m. many of the police vehicles that had jammed Walnut Lake Road in front of the school began pulling away slowly with their lights off. Bouchard said the shelter in place order remains in effect for now as they continue to examine the vehicle and check for other threats. 2:32 p.m.: Jewish Federation lifts lockdown after Temple Israel attack The Jewish Federation of Detroit issued an updated email indicating that lockouts and lockdowns were no longer called for at other Jewish organizations. "There will be a continued police and security presence throughout the community," the statement read. 1:50 p.m.: Residents told to shelter in place near Temple Israel Residents near Temple Israel in West Bloomfield were asked to continue to shelter in place on the afternoon of Thursday, March 12 as police continued to respond to a shooter reported to have attacked the complex. At least one individual used a vehicle to crash into the school at the temple, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told media members at the scene. Security guards engaged in gunfire with that person, the sheriff reported. Bouchard said there are no known injuries at this time, "except possibly the shooter." "We do not have that individual in custody," Bouchard said. It's unknown if that person had accomplices, Bouchard said. Children have been successfully evacuated from the building. They will be reunited with their families at the Jewish Community Center at Maple and Drake Roads, and the location will be heavily guarded by police. A shelter in place remains in effect for a mile radius and police have Walnut Lake Road was closed between Orchard Lake and Drake Roads. Dozens of police vehicles from multiple agencies could be seen with lights activated outside the complex and helicopters flew overhead as well. 1 p.m.: What happened at Temple Israel The West Bloomfield Police Department sent out an alert, urging residents to avoid the area and citing an "active situation" just before 1 p.m. The Oakland County Sheriff's Office, in a post on Facebook, stated it was a report of an active shooter and that they were responding along with other agencies. Michigan State Police's Second District, which also acknowledged the reported active shooting incident, said troopers were increasing patrols at other places of worship in the district. Jewish groups in lockdown amid active shooter report at Temple Israel Jewish agencies connected to the Jewish Federation of Detroit, the largest Jewish umbrella group in Michigan, were in a precautionary lockdown, the group stated in a Facebook about 12:50 p.m. In an email sent about 1 p.m., the group advised all Jewish organizations to go into lockout protocol, with nobody in or out of their buildings. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer releases statement Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer posted a statement to social media Thursday afternoon in response to the incident. Attorney General Dana Nessel speaks out on antisemitism Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel spoke out on antisemitism in light of the reported attack, saying her heart was with the community and congregation of Temple Israel. More: Michigan leaders react to Temple Israel attack in West Bloomfield “Antisemitism has no place in Michigan and cannot be tolerated," she said in a statement. "In moments like these, it’s more important than ever that we come together, stand with our neighbors, confront hate whenever it appears, and build stronger communities.” She also highlighted the Michigan State Police's website to help spot and report suspicious behavior at mi.gov/StopaPlot . This is a developing story. Check back to Freep.com for updates. Facebook Twitter Email