Mich. Synagogue Attack: FBI Held Active Shooter Training at Temple Israel Several Weeks Earlier

Security personnel at a West Bloomfield Township synagogue are being praised as "heroes" after they exchanged gunfire with a suspect who rammed his truck into the building before he was killed.

By Melissa Nann Burke

Source The Detroit News

March 13, 2026

2 min read

What to know

The FBI held active‑shooter prevention training at Temple Israel in January, the same synagogue where a gunman crashed a truck into the building Thursday before opening fire and being killed by security personnel.
Officials say one security guard was injured in the ramming attack, and nearby schools sheltered in place as authorities urged residents to avoid the area.
Temple Israel called the attacker a “terrorist gunman” and praised its security staff, noting the congregation had recently completed FBI‑led preparedness training.

Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, MI. — An alert about an active shooter situation near the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, MI, was issued Thursday afternoon, urging residents to avoid the area and shelter in place. A suspect rammed the house of worship with his truck and exchanged gunfire with security guards before he was killed.

The FBI in January held an active-shooter prevention training at the same synagogue in West Bloomfield Township where a gunman Thursday rammed his truck into the building and then opened fire on the temple, exchanging gunfire with security guards before he was killed.

The training was designed to help staff and security personnel respond to the type of incident that unfolded at the synagogue, which praised its security personnel as "heroes" after the attack.

The confrontation sent one security guard to the hospital with injuries sustained when the gunman rammed into the building, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said. The attack prompted nearby schools to shelter in place and emergency officials to warn residents to avoid the area.

In a letter to members of its congregation, Temple Israel described the attacker as a "terrorist gunman who was confronted and neutralized by our security personnel who are truly heroes."

The FBI Detroit led an active-shooter attack prevention and preparedness session for the clergy and staff at Temple Israel in late January, according to a Jan. 30 post by the agency on social media.

The FBI said the course "combines lessons learned from years of research and employs scenario-based exercises to help participants practice the decision-making process of the Run, Hide, Fight principles and take necessary actions for survival."

The agency said its Detroit office has partnered with many organizations in Michigan "and is committed to protecting schools, workplaces, houses of worship, medical facilities, transportation centers, government facilities, other public gathering sites, and communities."

Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is Jewish and originally from West Bloomfield, said Thursday she has family who attend Temple Israel and that she did a presentation on hate crimes and domestic terrorism at the temple a year ago. She noted the synagogue recently went through an active shooter drill.

"They were very well-prepared,” Nessel said Thursday on CNN.

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