Law enforcement authorities responded to reports of an “active shooter situation” at Temple Israel on Thursday afternoon (March 12), according to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
The synagogue, located at 5725 Walnut Lake Road near the intersection of Walnut Lake and Drake roads in West Bloomfield Township, is described on its website as the largest Reform synagogue in the United States. Officers from the West Bloomfield Police Department, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, and Michigan State Police rushed to the scene. Emergency crews are currently working to secure and clear the synagogue while authorities handle the situation.
Officials have urged residents to avoid the area as police continue their response operations. Several nearby schools — West Bloomfield High School, West Bloomfield Middle School, Doherty Elementary School, and Bloomfield Hills Schools — have been placed in secure mode as a precaution. The Jewish Federation of Detroit has also advised Jewish organizations in the region to implement their security protocols.
“We are asking community members to stay away from the area to allow for police response. Troopers are also increasing patrols at other places of worship in the district,” the Michigan State Police reported.
Authorities in the nearby city of Ann Arbor said they are closely monitoring the situation. The Ann Arbor Police Department confirmed it is aware of reports about the incident in West Bloomfield and is acting “out of an abundance of caution.”
Andre Anderson, chief of the Ann Arbor Police Department, has instructed officers to step up patrols and increase their presence around local schools and houses of worship across the city as a precautionary measure, according to police.
So far, officials say no injuries have been reported, and authorities have not yet released further details about the incident.
