FBI reports ‘active shooter situation’ at Michigan synagogue in the US

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States has responded to an “active shooter situation” near a synagogue in the Detroit metropolitan area in Michigan.

FBI Director Kash Patel indicated that his agency was working with local law enforcement to secure the area.

“FBI personnel are on the scene with partners in Michigan and responding to the apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation out of Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan,” Patel wrote on social media.

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said a car had rammed into the synagogue, which also houses an early learning centre for children.

A law enforcement official later confirmed the assailant was killed. No victims were immediately reported and further details were not immediately available.

A shelter-in-place order was in place. Smoke could be seen coming from the building, where the vehicle reportedly caught fire.

The Jewish Federation of Detroit sent a message to its followers online to avoid approaching the synagogue.

“Our Jewish agencies are currently in precautionary lockdown,” the federation wrote on Facebook. “We ask community members to stay away from the area at this time.”

The active shooter situation comes amid heightened fears of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia following the outbreak of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in 2023 and the start last month of a new Israeli and US military campaign against Iran.

This is a breaking news story. More details to come.