An attempted car bomber drove a vehicle packed with explosives into a Jewish synagogue and preschool entrance in Michigan on Thursday before being stopped by security guards who opened fire, authorities said.
The incident unfolded just before 1 p.m. at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, a suburb outside Detroit. According to Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, the suspect crashed through the building’s doors and drove down a hallway before security personnel responded.
Security guards fired shots in an effort to stop the vehicle as it barreled through the synagogue.
Authorities later discovered the driver dead inside the car, which was found to contain explosives in the back. Officials said it remains unclear whether the suspect died from gunfire or another cause.
The crash triggered a fire inside the building as emergency responders rushed to the scene.
A security guard was struck by the vehicle during the attack and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Officials said no children or staff members at the synagogue’s preschool were injured.
“Everything that was supposed to happen, happened,” Sheriff Bouchard told reporters. “Security did their job, and then the responders did theirs.”
Temple Israel quickly notified parents that all children and staff were safe.
Authorities also placed multiple nearby schools on lockdown as a precaution while law enforcement secured the area.
Aerial footage from local television stations showed smoke rising from the synagogue building following the crash.
Federal authorities quickly joined the investigation.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that federal agents were assisting local officials following what he described as an apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said agents from both the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were deployed to assist local law enforcement.
“Our FBI and ATF agents are on the scene assisting local authorities at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan,” Bondi wrote on social media. “Please pray.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the attempted attack.
Oakland County, where Temple Israel is located, is home to one of the largest Jewish communities outside the New York metropolitan area.
The synagogue sits roughly 20 miles north of Dearborn, a city known for having the largest Arab American population in the United States.
Investigators are continuing to examine the explosives found in the vehicle and determine the suspect’s identity and motive.
The post Attempted Car Bomber Dead After Ramming Vehicle Into Michigan Synagogue Preschool Entrance appeared first on Real News Now.
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