The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is increasing patrols around religious institutions across the county following a violent attack Thursday morning at a prominent Michigan synagogue — the latest in a series of assaults on houses of worship that has put faith communities nationwide on edge.
The enhanced security measures were requested by County Supervisor Thomas Galvin and quickly approved by Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, who said protecting the county’s more than 4.6 million residents remains his top priority. Officials were careful to note that there is no known or specific threat to any Maricopa County religious site at this time, describing the stepped-up presence as a precautionary measure.
The incident that prompted the response unfolded Thursday morning in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where an armed man drove his vehicle through the entrance of Temple Israel — one of the largest reform synagogues in the United States — and into a hallway before the vehicle caught fire. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said the attacker appeared to move through the building with clear intent. Armed security personnel engaged the suspect, and he was found dead inside his vehicle. Investigators had not yet determined the exact cause of death as of Friday. Remarkably, none of the synagogue’s staff or the roughly 140 children present at its early childhood center were harmed.
Temple Israel credited its security team in a public statement, calling them heroes and praising its teachers for keeping children safe and calm throughout the ordeal.
The attack arrives during a period of heightened concern for Jewish institutions globally. Following joint U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran in late February, the FBI issued warnings that Iranian operatives may be planning drone strikes on targets in California. Synagogues worldwide have been operating under elevated security protocols since that announcement.
It was also not the first such attack in Michigan in recent memory. Last September, a former Marine opened fire at a Latter-day Saints church north of Detroit, killing four people before setting the building ablaze.
President Trump, who said he had been briefed on the Temple Israel attack, called it a terrible thing.
