Detroit police investigating the murder of the president of a progressive synagogue in the north of the US said on Sunday that during their investigation there was “no evidence that this crime was motivated by anti-Semitism”, according to AFP.

Police in Detroit, where 40-year-old Samantha Wall was found stabbed to death on Saturday, are interviewing “persons with information that may assist in the investigation,” Chief James White said in a statement.

He did not provide details but ruled out an anti-Semitic motive in the killing of Samantha Wall, close to local Democratic officials and president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, which covers the Detroit area.

Samantha Wall’s death comes amid rising tensions between the Jewish and Muslim communities in the United States, which has seen demonstrations in several cities, including New York, sometimes punctuated by violence sparked by the Middle East war between Israel and the Islamist movement Hamas.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Samantha Wall was a member of a local organization whose goal was to establish connections between young Jews and young Muslims.

Her body was found in front of her home, and a trail of blood led them to the victim’s residence “where it appears the crime took place,” local police said Saturday.

“Everything that can be done to close this case is being done,” James White added Sunday, adding that federal police are assisting Detroit police in the investigation.

Wall has been leading the downtown Isaac Gray Synagogue since 2022. She previously worked for Congresswoman Alyssa Slotkin and campaigned for the re-election of Michigan State Attorney Dana Nesselm, both Democrats.