DETROIT — The FBI is investigating whether a vehicle-ramming attack at a synagogue in suburban Detroit constituted terrorism after a man drove a truck into the building and opened fire before dying during the incident, federal and local authorities said.
The attack occurred on March 12 at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, northwest of Detroit. FBI officials said the incident was being investigated as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community, while authorities examined the suspect’s motives and background.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the suspect drove a truck through the synagogue’s entrance and into a hallway of the building. Security personnel engaged the suspect after he exited the vehicle armed with a rifle, according to law enforcement officials. The suspect later died, and authorities said no additional suspects had been identified.
Temple Israel houses an early childhood center, and officials said children and staff members inside the building were evacuated safely. A security guard was injured and hospitalized, but authorities reported no fatalities other than the suspect.
Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, said federal investigators had assumed a leading role in the case.
“This is a deeply disturbing and tragic incident, and our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their family, and the entire Jewish community,” Runyan said in remarks released by the FBI. She added that investigators were examining the attack as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
Authorities said evidence recovered from the scene prompted a broad investigation involving federal, state and local agencies. Details about potential explosives or incendiary materials found in the vehicle were still being reviewed at the time, and officials cautioned that parts of the investigation remained active.
The attack drew condemnation from public officials and community organizations, who called for increased vigilance around religious institutions. Law enforcement agencies also increased security measures at Jewish sites in the region following the incident, according to local authorities.
Later developments in the investigation led the FBI to characterize the attack as a terrorism case inspired by Hezbollah ideology, though officials said they found no evidence of accomplices or direct operational links to the group. Federal authorities said the suspect had intended to target the synagogue and its congregation.
As of June 13, federal investigators continued to review evidence collected from the scene. Authorities said the case remained under investigation, and no additional arrests had been announced.
