Synagogue attack is latest on Michigan churches, houses of worship

Anne Snabes and Jennifer Pignolet, The Detroit News on Mar 12, 2026

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DETROIT — Attacks on churches and places of worship have become more frequent, with two significant attacks in the Detroit and Flint region during the last year alone, before the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Thursday.

FBI crime reports attacks or assaults against individuals at churches, synagogues, temples and mosques rose nearly 100% between 2021 and 2023, according to a 2025 CBS News report.

The following are among the most recent attacks in Metro Detroit:

September 2025: Church of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc

On Sept. 28, 2025, Thomas "Jake" Sanford drove his truck into the Church of Latter-Day Saints in Grand Blanc on McCandlish Road and opened fire on the congregation, according to police. Four people were killed, and the building was destroyed in a fire.

Sanford's attack on the church was a "targeted act of violence believed to be motivated by the assailant's anti-religious beliefs against the Mormon religious community," according to a video statement from the FBI's Detroit office in late October.

Following the attack in Grand Blanc Township, several religious leaders in Metro Detroit told The Detroit News that their communities have adopted security measures in recent years in response to violence and hateful rhetoric in the United States. Some now lock their doors during services, directing members to one entrance when services begin. Several have armed security teams in place during services

June 2025: CrossPointe Community Church, Wayne

In June 22, 2025, a gunman wearing a tactical vest and carrying two guns, fired shots into the building's exterior during a special vacation Bible School service before he was run over by one person and then fatally shot by church security.

Authorities said the quick action averted a potential mass shooting at a suburban Detroit church.

The church’s pastor, Bobby Kelly Jr., told The Detroit News that about 150 people were inside at the time and that a security guard was shot in the leg.

February 2022: Al-Huda Islamic Center, Dearborn

In February 2022, a man started a fire at the mosque before being killed by police. The man had a history of mental health issues and was not believed to be politically or ideologically motivated, according to investigators at the time. He also fired at police officers who responded to the fire.

October 2005: City of God Ministry, Detroit

In October 2015, a man attacked a pastor with a brick at a church service before the pastor pulled out his handgun and fatally fired back. The pastor, Keon Allison, 36, of Dearborn Heights, fatally shot Deante Smith, 25, on Oct. 18 during church services. The pastor was not charged in the shooting, which was investigated as a love triangle between the pastor, Smith and Smith's wife.

May 2012: Victory Way Assembly Church, Detroit

In May 2012, an 84-year-old security guard at Victory Way Assembly Church on the city's west side was killed as a Bible study class was underway inside. Two men were convicted in the murder.

January 2011: Islamic Center of America, Dearborn

A 63-year-old man faced terrorism charges after a January 2011 plot to bomb the Shia mosque in Dearborn. The man, from California, was arrested in the parking lot with explosives in his vehicle.

February 2006: Zion Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Detroit

In February 2006, 22-year-old Kevin Collins opened fire with a shotgun inside the church, sending worshipers scrambling for safety beneath pews. A 38-year-old woman was killed, and a 9-year-old girl was wounded before Collins dashed outside and killed a 54-year-old man when he tried to defend his wife from being carjacked. Collins later died by suicide.

March 2003: St. Paul's Albanian Catholic Church, Rochester Hills

In March 2003, a 38-year-old man was fatally shot during services at St. Paul's Albanian Catholic Church in Rochester Hills by a man police said was out to settle a longstanding family feud.

Temple Israel motive unknown, but antisemitism on rise

The attack on Temple Israel has not been declared an antisemitic attack. But there were more than 250 antisemitic incidents in Michigan and 10,000 in the U.S. from Oct. 7, 2023, to Sept. 24, 2024, the year following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

“The data shows that incidents of antisemitism have only grown after one of the most devastating world events in history for the Jewish community,” said Carolyn Normandin, ADL Michigan Regional Director, in a press release. “One year later, some are adding insult to injury, protesting Israel’s right to exist and directing hurtful rhetoric at the Jewish community.”

Antisemitic flyers were distributed in Farmington Hills in October 2024 and in Flushing in Genesee County in January 2025. Vandals have also targeted the law office and home of University of Michigan Regent Jordan Acker, who is Jewish.

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