State and federal law enforcement are responding to an active shooter situation in Michigan after a car crashed into a synagogue and shots rang out.
The incident took place shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday at the Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, located about 25 miles northwest of Detroit, according to The Detroit Free Press. Footage from the scene showed smoke billowing from the synagogue.
"There is an active situation,” a police spokesperson told Newsweek. “A car crashed into the synagogue and shots were fired. No information about injuries or fatalities at this time. It's still an active situation."
The FBI, state police and personnel from nearby towns responded to the area on Thursday afternoon. An observer reported witnessing a heavy law enforcement presence at the scene, spotting officers with their guns drawn, according to WXYZ. No deaths or injuries have been reported.
Local police warned residents to stay away from the area, and multiple schools in West Bloomfield have issued a shelter-in-place orders.
FBI Director Kash Patel said that the agency is “on the scene” responding to “the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation.” Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she is monitoring reports of the incident, which she described as “heartbreaking.”
"We are aware of an active security incident at Temple Israel,” the Jewish Federation of Detroit said in a statement, according to ABC News. “Law enforcement are responding. Our Jewish agencies are currently in precautionary lockdown."
Temple Israel, which is home to a preschool, has been described as one of the largest Reform congregations in the nation.
"I'm scared to death for my friends," a synagogue member told an NBC News affiliate. "This is senseless. It's senseless...We have to be better than this."
“Before our very eyes, a Temple in West Bloomfield is under attack,” Rep. Haley Stevens, a Michigan Democrat, wrote on X. “Like many of you, I am getting reports in real time. To everyone in Michigan’s 11th district, continue to follow the guidance of local law enforcement. To the Jewish American community in Michigan and beyond, we stand with you.”
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