Law enforcement agencies responded to an “active shooter situation” at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, multiple police units were dispatched to the synagogue located on Walnut Lake Road near the Drake Road intersection. Officers from the West Bloomfield Police Department, the sheriff’s office and the Michigan State Police secured the area and began clearing the building as part of the emergency response.
Officials urged residents to stay away from the area while emergency personnel managed the situation. Nearby schools, including West Bloomfield High School, West Bloomfield Middle School, Doherty Elementary School and institutions under Bloomfield Hills Schools, were placed in secure mode as a precaution.
Authorities said parents were briefly allowed to retrieve children from an early childhood learning centre located inside the synagogue after police approval. Footage from the scene showed several police vehicles surrounding the building as officers investigated the incident.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit advised Jewish institutions across the region to activate security protocols and temporarily restrict access to their facilities.
Meanwhile, officials in nearby Ann Arbor said they were monitoring the developments closely. The Ann Arbor Police Department increased patrols around local schools and houses of worship as a precautionary measure.
Reports indicated that a vehicle may have crashed into the synagogue building, with smoke seen rising from the roof. Kash Patel said federal agents were assisting local authorities in responding to what appeared to be a possible vehicle-ramming and active shooter situation.
Temple Israel describes itself as the largest Reform synagogue in the United States, with more than 12,000 members and educational programmes for families and children.
As per officials, no injuries had been reported and investigations into the incident were ongoing.
