NEW YORK (WABC) — Two violent attacks hundreds of miles apart are raising new concerns about safety in places meant to bring communities together.<\/p>\n
Authorities say a deadly shooting at Old Dominion University left one person dead and two others injured before ROTC students stopped the gunman, who investigators say was a convicted ISIS supporter.<\/p>\n
Just hours later, a vehicle rammed into Temple Israel in Michigan, sparking a fire while children were inside.<\/p>\n
The suspect, 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali was born in Lebanon and became a U.S. citizen in 2016. Officials say his relatives were killed in an Israeli airstrike.<\/p>\n
The attacks come amid a heightened threat environment, prompting concerns across the United States and the Tri-State area.<\/p>\n
Outside a synagogue in Hoboken all day Friday, there were foot patrols and police cruises which is a police presence more prominent than usual after a threat was called in Thursday just before 11 p.m.<\/p>\n
“This has been talked about as in some way, a swatting incident, that is what it is most similar to,” said Hoboken Mayor Emily B. Jabbour.<\/p>\n
The mayor released a statement to put the community at ease, saying that while the call “prompted a significant police response to the local synagogue and Jewish schools” after “an extensive review, it was determined that there was no credible threat.”<\/p>\n
“We had a strong police response in terms of investigating thoroughly, and we want to ensure that members of the public feel safe going to their places of worship during this time,” Jabbour said.<\/p>\n
Jason Shames is the CEO of the Northern NJ Jewish Federation.<\/p>\n
“And so there is this extreme tenseness in the Jewish community about what to do,” Shames said. “And we’re hearing from people that they don’t want to go to synagogue. They don’t want to go to programing as much anymore. They think twice. They think again about it.”<\/p>\n
The Tri-State area, home to the largest Jewish communities in the country, was on edge after Thursday’s truck ramming attack at the synagogue outside Detroit.<\/p>\n
“The training yesterday that the training that was in place a couple of days ago at Temple Israel in Bloomfield is something we’ve been doing locally in New Jersey for years,” Shaemes said.<\/p>\n
Millions have been spent on safety, including bollards like the ones used at the airport. But the Jewish population feels under constant threat.<\/p>\n
Two teens were recently taken into custody after a bias pellet gun attack in Teaneck.<\/p>\n
“So it’s not just 24 hours for us, it’s constant, that’s what the rest of the world and society doesn’t seem to understand.,” Shames said.<\/p>\n
And in New York City security at synagogues is also tight. Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed on Friday that New York was also a target.<\/p>\n
“This is a high alert situation, we will do everything we can to assure the community that we will fight to protect them,” Hochul said.<\/p>\n
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