The board president of a synagogue in Detroit was found stabbed to death on Saturday morning.
Samantha Woll, 40, was discovered lying dead by police around 6:30 a.m. with multiple stab wounds outside her home. A trail of blood could reportedly be observed leading into her residence, where police believe she was initially stabbed.
In addition to leading the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Woll was also involved in politics, having worked on the campaign of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and at the office of Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
Nessel expressed her sorrow in a social media post some hours after Woll was found.
“I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state, and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone,” the attorney general said.
Several other state and local politicians offered their condolences, including the governor of Michigan.
“My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her,” wrote Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a statement, according to CBS News. “She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place.”
An acquaintance of Woll’s spoke with Fox News Digital about her, describing the deceased as “passionate.”
“She just wanted to do good things in the world, and she was very passionate with a lot of energy. … She wasn’t a personal close friend of mine, but she was someone I was friendly with and talked to on the phone. … But I really liked her. She was very passionate. Oh my gosh, she was so deeply committed to social justice,” said Michelle Zukowski-Serlin.
Police have not identified a potential motive or suspect. According to CNN, the FBI confirmed it would lend assistance to Detroit police during the course of the investigation.
“Over the course of the last several hours, the [Detroit Police Department] has mobilized many of its resources and has been leveraging every law enforcement and community resource it has to help further the investigation. Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions,” said Detroit Police Chief James, according to the Detroit Free Press.
While police have not disclosed any leads they might have, Woll’s killing follows weeks of increased tensions domestically and abroad as the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas has prompted mass demonstrations, some in support of Israel and others against it.
Woll’s death is only the latest in the Midwest to get considerable news coverage. Recently, an Illinois man allegedly stabbed a 6-year-old Palestinian boy to death because he was angry about Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, murder has been on the rise in Dallas, clocking a roughly 10% year-over-year increase. Hate crimes, however, have dipped down, according to the City of Dallas victim demographics dashboard.