Whitmer urges "turn down the rhetoric" in response to Detroit-area synagogue attack
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer urged people to "turn down the rhetoric" and call out antisemitism when they see or hear it in response to Thursday's attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.
Whitmer was among those given remarks during a press conference on Friday that lasted just under 15 minutes on the impact of the attack on the Metro Detroit community and beyond. First responders from Oakland County, the Michigan State Police, Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Temple Israel staff also attended.
Those who spoke deferred any questions about the investigation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is expected to give a press conference on Friday but has not yet announced a time or location.
The violent circumstances erupted shortly after noon on Thursday, when an early childhood center at Temple Israel was in session and dozens of children aged 5 and younger were on campus.
West Bloomfield Police Chief Dale Young said law enforcement responded to an "active shooter situation" at about 12:19 p.m., and field officers arrived at the scene within five minutes. Authorities said the suspect rammed his vehicle into the building.
The suspect, who was later identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali of Dearborn Heights, died at the scene.
While none of the students and staff at the early childhood center were injured, about 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
The presence of young children at the facility is a detail that Whitmer referred to repeatedly.
"At the time of this attack, this was a school," the governor said emphatically. "This is targeting babies who are Jewish."
Slotkin spoke about the efforts that Jewish communities, such as Temple Israel, have taken to train their staff and leaders on how to notice and respond to threatening situations, and the efforts that law enforcement professionals have taken to deal with threats.
"If they had not all done their jobs almost perfectly, we would be talking about an immense tragedy here today," Slotkin said. "I stand here, proud of this community, but angry that we were even put in this position."
There was a series of briefings on the scene on Thursday in the aftermath of the attack, including a formal press conference in the evening with reports from Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and other officials.
During that Thursday evening update, federal authorities said the attack is being investigated as a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community."
