Disruption at Westport Synagogue Sparks Panic, Say Wilton Women in Attendance

with additional reporting by Amanda Greenberg

Several Wilton residents were attending a luncheon program at Westport’s Temple Israel on Tuesday afternoon, May 12, when around 1 p.m. it was interrupted by two men who were shouting and trying to force their way into the ballroom. According to police reports, some witnesses believed the men were armed; the suspects had to be physically restrained until Westport Police arrived on the scene. Nearby schools were put on temporary lockdown as a precaution.

Police arrested two men, Daniel Fisher, 25, and Gregory Williams, 25, both of New Haven, and charged them with first-degree criminal trespass and second-degree breach of peace.

GMW.com contacted some of the Wilton women who attended the talk. They said people in the room panicked when the two men began banging loudly on the doors and shouting.

“It felt very violent, then everybody in the room looked like they were in shock and one of my friends yelled for everyone to duck under the tables. Everyone did that, then there was yelling to run, grab your stuff and get out as fast as you could. We couldn’t believe this was happening,” recalls Fran Greenberg, one of the Wilton women at the talk. “There were about 90 women running for their lives it felt.”

The event, featuring members of the Israeli Army, was a luncheon sponsored by Fairfield County Friends of the IDF (Israeli Defense Force). According to Greenberg, “About 10 minutes into the program, a young Israeli pilot was speaking about his experience and happened to be talking about peace, [when] at that moment there was an extremely loud banging on the door. You could see men pounding on the door trying to get in and a lot of screaming going on outside the door.”

Westport Police say the two suspects had arrived to protest the IDF. According to the press release, “They entered the building and were confronted by staff and told to leave. The two suspects refused and walked past staff, and attempted to enter the meeting place. Temple Israel staff had to physically prevent them from entering the meeting room. As the two were detained outside the meeting room it was reported that they were shouting various statements regarding the IDF. The actions of the two protestors created enough concern to the attendees that several people had exited the premises in fear for their safety.”

Another Wilton woman (who asked to remain unnamed) described the men’s attempts at getting into the room as “violent” and that she and other women rushed to hide under tables and “feared that bullets were going to come flying in.” She said she ran with other women to the closest fire exit and down a back staircase to get outside, while other attendees hid in lockdown inside a kitchen.

Greenberg also managed to run out and get away from the building. She still can’t believe what she experienced. “It felt completely surreal. We were all shaken and could not believe this was happening in our own backyard,” she said.

Wilton resident Alison Sherman was also there. She said that although there was initial panic, the clergy at Temple Israel quickly got the situation in hand. In a post on Facebook, she wrote:

“[The] assistant rabbi and cantor essentially jumped the two men, not knowing when they did that if the men were indeed unarmed. The Rabbi was wonderful, calm, cool, collected. The police were on the scene very quickly, handcuffed the men, put them in custody. It is a shame that so many women left so quickly. The remainder of the program was really wonderful and the Rabbi led us in ‘Hatikva,’” she wrote, adding, “The police and clergy were really outstanding.”

Temple Israel president, Steven Phillips, issued a statement that said, “At no time was anyone in physical danger.”

Wilton Police reported that they were contacted by Weston Police who were assisting Westport. “We received a call from Weston PD who requested an Officer to assist in a school lockdown. Upon arrival of the officer he was returned,” Lt. Stephen Brennan told GMW.com.

He added that Wilton did contact Temple B’nai Chaim (TBC) in Georgetown as a precaution. “They were aware of the incident but stated they did not need police presence.” An email from that synagogue to members states that TBC is working closely with the Redding Police Department, which will increase police presence around they synagogue as a result of the Westport incident.

During the early minutes of the incident, police put Coleytown Middle School, Coleytown Elementary School, the Co-Op Pre School at the Unitarian Church and the Temple Israel Nursery School into lockdown until officers were able to clear the buildings. The police said that no gun was located during the incident but a witness had observed one of the men approaching with a shirt over his arm and hand which led some witnesses to believe he was carrying a gun.

According to police, the two suspects claim to be college students protesting the IDF. They were each issued a $1,500 bond and were given a court date of May 21 at Norwalk Court.