The former program director at Congregation Emanu El is crediting his time and training in Houston with helping him and others get through the attack at Temple Israel in Michigan.
“Every time you have the training, it’s a refresher. There might be some new content, but the training, most of my training came while in Houston. Whether it was with, you know, the FBI, whether it was with the ADL, different organizations, Houston PD. The training is supposed to help you, so you do not freeze in the moment,” Plotkin said.
Around 12:19 p.m. on Thursday, a car allegedly driven by 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drove into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, according to Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.
Ghazali is accused of opening fire on a security guard who returned fire and eventually engaging with another security officer before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Runyan.
Runyan said the suspect had no previous criminal history and had never been the subject of an FBI investigation.
The FBI is investigating the incident as a “targeted act of violence” against the Jewish community, but the motive remains under investigation, Runyan said.
Plotkin stresses always being prepared is the key to remaining safe during attacks like the one on Temple Israel on Thursday.
“The two biggest tips I give to organizations, and I’ve shared it with colleagues because it comes right to the top of mind. A is regular security training for your whole team at your institution. Very critical. That way, they don’t freeze. The second thing I’ll say is relationships matter,” Plotkin said.
This story comes from our news partner ABC13 Houston.