Cops: Man in Truck Rammed Synagogue, Fired Shots

A vehicle slammed into a suburban Detroit synagogue and shots were fired Thursday, triggering a huge law-enforcement response and a lockdown across nearby schools and religious sites. The Detroit News reports that the incident unfolded before 1pm at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, where a truck rammed the front doors and somebody opened fire, according to a text alert sent to synagogue members. The message said the "active shooter has been taken down," and that all children and staff had been accounted for. First responders evacuated children from the synagogue's preschool, reports NBC News reports.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters that security officers at the synagogue—the nation's largest Reform synagogue—saw the suspect and engaged him in gunfire. He said no injuries were confirmed. Law enforcement sources tell the AP and CNN that the suspect is dead. Authorities were still treating the situation as active Thursday afternoon, with officers clearing the building and checking whether the suspect acted alone. Bouchard said a shelter-in-place order was in effect for "at least a mile" around the synagogue. "It's a work in progress, so that's why we're sheltering in place until we figure it out," he said. "It's a big facility with a lot of land around it."

Michigan State Police urged residents to avoid the area and said they were boosting patrols at other houses of worship. SWAT teams, an armored vehicle, and nearly two dozen FBI agents converged on the synagogue, while helicopters circled overhead and nearby schools and Jewish agencies went into precautionary lockdown. "This is heartbreaking," Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "Michigan's Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace."