FBI Confirms Hezbollah-Inspired Terror Attack at Temple Israel Synagogue in Michigan

The FBI has confirmed that the car ramming and shooting attack at Temple Israel, a major synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, earlier this month was a “Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism” targeting the Jewish community.

According to Jennifer Runyan, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Detroit, the attacker, identified as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon, deliberately targeted the synagogue. On March 12, Ghazali rammed a pickup truck loaded with gasoline and fireworks into the building before opening fire. He was armed with an AR-style rifle that he had purchased three days prior, along with multiple magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Authorities said Ghazali exchanged gunfire with security staff before igniting the fuel and fireworks, causing a large fire within the building. He then fatally shot himself after being unable to exit his truck, which became lodged inside the synagogue. No one else was killed in the attack, but a security guard was injured, and several first responders required treatment for smoke inhalation.

Investigators revealed that Ghazali had engaged with pro-Hezbollah materials online and began planning the attack days before carrying it out. Ten minutes before the attack, he sent a video message to his sister in Lebanon, stating his intent to carry out a mass shooting and referencing the synagogue as the largest gathering place for Israelis in Michigan.

The FBI stated there is no evidence of any co-conspirators in the attack. The motive was linked to personal losses Ghazali suffered in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon and his online interest in Hezbollah. Temple Israel, with over 12,000 members, is the largest Jewish congregation in Michigan.

The investigation remains ongoing, but authorities say the attack appears to have been a lone act, with no outstanding suspects.