Trump responds to Michigan synagogue attack, says 'we're going right down to the bottom of it'
.@POTUS: "I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in the Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today. I've been fully briefed — and it's a terrible thing... We're going to be right down to the bottom of it." 🙏 pic.twitter.com/C6RVIowjBN
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 12, 2026
DETROIT, MICHIGAN: Authorities are investigating an attack at a synagogue in the Detroit area after a suspect rammed a vehicle into the building and was later found dead following a confrontation with security personnel.
Officials said the incident occurred on Thursday, March 12, in the afternoon at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
No students or staff members were reported injured. President Donald Trump said that he had been briefed on the situation, while officials in New York announced increased security at religious institutions in response to the incident.
Trump briefed as New York officials announce increased security
President Donald Trump said that he had been briefed on the synagogue attack while delivering remarks during a White House Women’s History Month celebration.
The president expressed support for the Jewish community in the region and said that authorities would investigate the incident.
“I want to send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in the Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today. I’ve been fully briefed, and it’s a terrible thing… We’re going to be right down to the bottom of it,” Trump said.
The attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan is horrifying. My thoughts are with the congregation and all who are shaken by this act of antisemitic violence. I am continuing to closely monitor the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD will continue to…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) March 12, 2026
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the president had received a briefing on the “shooting in Michigan.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also addressed the incident, calling it “horrifying” and expressing support for the Temple Israel congregation.
In a post on X, Mamdani said that authorities were monitoring developments closely and that additional security measures were being taken in the city.
“I am continuing to closely monitor the situation,” the mayor wrote. “Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD will continue to deploy high-visibility patrols to Jewish religious and cultural institutions across the five boroughs.”
Suspect dead after ramming vehicle into Temple Israel
The suspect involved in the attack died after driving a truck into the building at Temple Israel and being confronted by synagogue security personnel, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Authorities said law enforcement responded Thursday afternoon to what was described as an “active shooter situation” at the synagogue in West Bloomfield, a suburb of Detroit.
According to two law enforcement sources cited by CBS News, the suspect exited the vehicle carrying a rifle and was shot by synagogue security personnel.
Bouchard did not specify the exact circumstances of the suspect’s death but confirmed that the individual was the only person in the vehicle.
Temple Israel later confirmed that all 140 students in its childhood center, along with teachers and staff members, had been accounted for. “Everyone is safe,” the synagogue said in a statement posted on Facebook.
