WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI — A 41-year-old man was killed Thursday after driving his pickup truck into Temple Israel synagogue near Detroit, Michigan, sparking a fire and a massive law enforcement response.
The Department of Homeland Security identified the assailant as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen who came to Detroit in 2011 on a spouse visa and became a citizen in 2016. Reports suggest Ghazali had recently lost family members in an Israeli strike in Lebanon, amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said security guards opened fire after Ghazali crashed through the synagogue doors. No staff or children were harmed, but 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation during evacuation efforts, and one guard was injured by the truck.
The FBI confirmed it is investigating the incident as “a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.” Motive details have not yet been publicly disclosed.
The attack comes amid heightened security in the U.S. following the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has spread across the Middle East. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed 687 people, according to local authorities.
On the same day, a shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia left one dead and two injured. The suspect, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former National Guard member, was subdued by students and later died.
Sheriff Bouchard confirmed that Ghazali appeared to act alone, and police were inspecting the vehicle for explosives after the fire was contained.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer called the attack “heartbreaking,” emphasizing that Jewish communities must be able to practice their faith safely and that antisemitism has no place in the state. Law enforcement agencies have increased vigilance in response to potential threats linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict.