WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin was in Michigan on Friday, the day after a Metro Detroit temple was attacked, working with Jewish and Lebanese American community leaders to find a way forward.

“Leaders have the responsibility to bring the temperature down, to remain calm and to lead with purpose in mind," Slotkin said on Friday from Shenandoah Country Club, "and that purpose should be to have our communities not flare up and want to go after each other, but to calm down and to figure out a productive way forward, even when people vehemently disagree.”

After briefings with law enforcement, Slotkin, D-Holly, says she has learned the stories of heroes who saved lives, including a preschool teacher who was inside the school with children at the time of the attack and had a child of her own in the class.

“And they went running out into a neighborhood. And neighbors just started opening their garages and set up kind of stops for them, you know, where they gave them blankets and water and helped them with the children," Slotkin said. "And then obviously, here in Shenandoah, you know, the Iraqi Christian community, the Chaldean community, has just been overwhelmingly generous and opened their doors. And it's just, to me, a real Michigan story.”

At the same time, Slotkin said it was not hard to miss that the Temple Israel attack was similar to what occurred at a Grand Blanc church in September 2025, when Thomas "Jake" Sanford drove his truck into the Church of Latter-Day Saints and opened fire on the congregation.

"You know, weapons and incendiary devices. And, you know, it's terrible that six months later we're seeing a similar attack,” she said.

Slotkin, who is Jewish, said she spent a lot of time growing up in and out of Temple Israel. Asked what was driving an attack like the one on Temple Israel, Slotkin said that is what the multi-agency investigation is for.

“And I think anyone who tells you they know what the story is with this perpetrator doesn't understand how investigations work," Slotkin said. "You need to do a real analysis of this person and their connections and their motivations, but it doesn't change what happened, which was a community was terrorized intentionally, with the intent to kill Jews and spew hate.”

Slotkin said she was briefed on the suspect, whose four family members were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on March 5. Slotkin said she had heard that the suspect was in distress beforehand, but declined to elaborate further.

“And you know, this was not just a place of worship, it's a school, a preschool and a daycare, and no matter what we learn about the suspect, no matter whether there were things going on in his family life or at home, the death of family — it never justifies perpetrating violence and hate against innocent civilians,” Slotkin said.

Slotkin said security has been increased at houses of worship in the area and that people are on edge.

"But the point of these types of attacks is to get you to stop participating in your religious life, right?" she said. "That's the point, to get you to cower in fear. The threat is the point."

"And so I'm really looking forward. I know we have a big Shabbat Friday night, we're holding it here at the center, at the Shenandoah Country Club," she said. " You know, I have to imagine it's one of the first times in history that a Jewish service is being held at an Iraqi Christian facility, and I think that shows the greatness of the Detroit area of Michigan."

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