NYC tightens security in Jewish neighborhoods after Michigan synagogue attack
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New York City officials are stepping up security and condemning a “horrific” act of anti-Semitic violence after a gunman rammed a pickup truck into a Michigan synagogue and opened fire – an attack that has sparked concern in the nation’s largest city amid an already tense situation.
The suspect died Thursday after he raided a truck at Temple Israel, a Reform Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, and opened fire with a gun.
The attack left one security guard unconscious and the suspect’s truck burst into flames, prompting the FBI, ATF and local authorities to rush to the area with K-9 snipers.
Law enforcement responded to a call at the Temple Israel synagogue, Thursday, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
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New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams sent a strong response to the attack in Michigan, stressing that the synagogue has a daycare center and a school.
“We must protect all of our communities, from West Bloomfield Township to NYC, from violent hate,” Williams wrote in a statement.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the Michigan incident as “a cowardly act of anti-Semitic violence.”
“Our Jewish neighbors should never be afraid to worship in peace,” Hochul wrote on social media. “[New York State Police] we will continue to patrol religious places throughout the country.”
An active shooter was reported at Temple Israel, a synagogue in Michigan on Thursday. (WJBK)
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A similar attack occurred on Jan. 28, New York City, when suspect Dan Sohail is accused of breaking into his car at the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
When Sohail reached the side entrance of the building, he allegedly removed the security barriers, moved the congregations out of the way, and rammed his car into the building’s gate four times.
While the doors were damaged, no injuries were reported.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who opposes ongoing military strikes against Iran, described the Michigan shooting as “appalling” on Thursday, adding that her “thoughts are with the congregation and all those affected by this act of anti-Semitic violence.”
A general view shows the world headquarters of Chabad Lubavitch, Thursday, Jan. 29, New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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“I continue to closely monitor the situation,” Mamdani wrote in a statement to X. “Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD will continue to deploy high-visibility patrols at Jewish religious and cultural centers throughout the five boroughs.”
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) added that it continues to monitor the situation in Michigan, which it noted is a “highly threatened area.”
A few weeks ago, there was a clash between the protests that took place near Gracie Mansion, where Mamdani officially lives, and the mayor was criticized for his response.
Emir Balat runs after dropping a suspected IED at the feet of NYPD officers. He was arrested a short time later, and the device failed to turn off. (Ryan Murphy/Getty Images ; US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York)
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An 18-year-old protester named Emir Balat was arrested for allegedly lighting and throwing explosives at a small group protesting “community prayer for Muslims.”
Following the initial tension in which a protester, an associate of protester who was pardoned on January 6, Jake Lang, used pepper spray, Balat threw the burning device in the direction of the group. Balat then retrieved a second device from 19-year-old Ibrahim Nikk, turned it on, and dropped it near NYPD officers as he attempted to flee.
The NYPD bomb squad examined the items, which were described as tape-wrapped jars containing nuts, bolts, screws and hobby fuses. No injuries were reported.
After the New York City attack, Mamdani released a statement calling Lang a “white man,” saying the protest was “stemmed from racism and bigotry.”
People gather near the Temple Israel synagogue, Thursday, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)
He later went on to talk to the men accused of throwing homemade bombs, saying “violence in a protest is totally unacceptable.”
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Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo disputed Mamdani’s response, saying that while he believed Lang was an “extremist,” the bombs thrown by the protesters “would have done a lot more damage.”
“The mayor issued a statement criticizing Jake Lang. I agree,” Cuomo said. “The second part of this statement is condemning terrorists. There is no moral equivalence. Jake Lang, officer, hate, yes. Yes, I agree. Terrorists bring a bomb to kill people – they are not equal. This city has no tolerance for terrorism or attempted terrorists, and that statement must be made loud and clear.
