A vehicle-ramming and shooting attack took place Thursday at Temple Israel, a large Reform synagogue complex in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan. According to local authorities, the suspected gunman was killed during an exchange of fire with armed security guards, and no other injuries were reported.
According to the Associated Press, a truck crashed into the synagogue complex and security personnel exchanged gunfire with at least one suspect. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard confirmed that shots were fired at the synagogue.
REPORT OF ACTIVE SHOOTER AT DETROIT SYNAGOGUE 🔴
Massive Police presence 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/xHq2U2mhyn
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 12, 2026
Fox News reported that a senior federal law enforcement official confirmed the suspect was dead. The suspect's body was reportedly badly burned. He was killed by armed security guards.
According to the reports, the suspect rammed the building with a vehicle, was armed with a rifle and became involved in a gunfight with synagogue security personnel, who shot and killed him. The vehicle caught fire inside the structure, which appears to be the source of smoke seen coming from the building.
Parents rushed to the complex to collect their children from the daycare center located inside the synagogue after receiving approval from police. The Jewish daycare operating at the synagogue sent a message to parents stating: "All students and staff are safe. When possible, parents will be able to pick up their children at the nearby country club."
Following the incident, the Jewish Federation of Detroit instructed Jewish organizations across the area to enter lockdown. Local schools moved to heightened security status, and police in nearby Ann Arbor increased patrols around synagogues and Jewish schools as a precaution.
