Portugal Colonial - Assailant dead after ramming car into Michigan synagogue

Security guards opened fire on the attacker at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters.

"He breached the building, drove down the hall, and he was engaged by security," Bouchard said. "We can't say what killed him at this point, but security did engage the suspect with gunfire."

The sheriff said the assailant appeared to be alone in the vehicle and police dogs were checking the car for explosives.

"It's been complicated because there's some fire, to say the least, with that vehicle."

He said a security member was injured by the car and is being treated in hospital.

Smoke could be seen billowing from the synagogue after the attack and fire engines were on the scene.

Law enforcement officers raced to the area in large numbers soon after the incident, which comes amid heightened tensions nationwide over the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer condemned the attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, a northwest suburb of Detroit.

"This is heartbreaking," she said. "Michigan's Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace."

"Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan," she said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had been briefed about the situation.

The sheriff said law enforcement had been on high alert since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran nearly two weeks ago.

"We've been talking for two weeks about the potential, sadly, of this happening," Bouchard said. "So there was no lack of preparation.

"All Jewish facilities in the area are going to have a lot of extra presence around it until we figure this out," the sheriff said.

The Jewish Federation of Detroit said Jewish agencies were in precautionary lockdown.

"We ask community members to stay away from the area at this time."

M.A.Vaz--PC