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A 38-year-old Turkish man accused of calling in a bomb threat to a Tallahassee synagogue was fatally shot by deputies Thursday afternoon when he reached for a gun as authorities attempted to serve a mental health warrant, according to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office.
Ali Bayhan died during the encounter at a residence in northwest Gainesville. Authorities said he also had made terroristic threats against several elected officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The shooting occurred shortly after Bayhan stepped out of the home with a handgun in his waistband as Alachua County deputies, U.S. Marshal agents and other law enforcement personnel arrived to serve a felony warrant, sheriff's office spokesperson Chris Sims said.
Deputies deployed a police dog to detain Bayhan after he failed to respond to commands. He then reached for his weapon, prompting deputies to open fire, according to the sheriff's office. No law enforcement officers were injured.
The incident stemmed from a Wednesday morning bomb threat phoned into Temple Israel in Tallahassee. The synagogue and its preschool were quickly evacuated, and police with three canine units searched the premises before declaring the building safe.
Tallahassee Police later determined the threat was not credible.
In a statement to congregants Wednesday, Temple Israel leaders noted the threat "contained neither anti-Semitic nor anti-Zionist content" and said all indications pointed to "a mentally troubled individual."
U.S. Marshals became involved after the Alachua County Sheriff's Office learned from local courts that an involuntary mental health evaluation order — known as an ex parte — had been issued for Bayhan.
"We learned that an ex parte had been issued for Mr. Bayhan based on significant concerns by his family about his mental health," Sims told Gainesville television station WCJB.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is leading the investigation into the deputy-involved shooting, which is standard protocol in such cases.
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