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Authorities Say No Children Or Staff Hurt In Synagogue Attack

Authorities Say No Children Or Staff Hurt In Synagogue Attack (Screenshot/FOX)

Authorities said no children or synagogue staff were injured after an attacker rammed a vehicle into a Michigan synagogue Thursday.

A man forced his way into the synagogue by crashing a truck packed with explosive materials through the building’s entrance. During a press conference, Sheriff Mike Bouchard said security personnel inside the synagogue acted quickly to stop the threat after the vehicle breached the building, preventing what could have been a far more devastating situation.

“No children and no staff were hurt. So we know there’s evil in the world, and we know they only have to get it right once, and sometimes they do. They may not come on anybody’s radar, and they show up,” Bouchard said. “But what happens when they show up, that’s where training and preparation kicks in. The security staff did an amazing job, and you’ll get some of the details on that, but they stopped the threat. No kids, no staff were hurt.”

Bouchard said they are still in the early stages of investigating the synagogue attack and cannot yet provide many details as officials work to determine exactly what happened and what may have motivated the suspect.

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“So I also know you’re going to have a lot of questions. A lot of those questions can’t be answered at this point because it’s super preliminary in the investigation. All of us have thoughts of maybe why this happened, but we don’t operate in a world where we can presume something,” Bouchard added. “We have to determine it through investigation and specificity, and that is a work that’s in progress as we speak. All of us will work seamlessly together to get the answers, and then it will be called what it is.”

Bouchard added that roughly 30 law enforcement officers were taken to hospitals for treatment after inhaling smoke while conducting the search and rescue operation.

“One of the heads of security was taken to the hospital. He got knocked down by the car when it breached the building, and we’ve had 30 law enforcement officers taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. So a lot of our folks from my SWAT team and other agencies are still in treatment because that building became engulfed in the car,” Bouchard said. “And we’ll learn all of that through the investigation, why it became engulfed in flames, what was the ignition source.”

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/FOX)