FBI: Detroit Synagogue Attack Driven by Hezbollah-Inspired Terrorism

An armed man crashed his pickup truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, on March 12 in what the FBI has described as a Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community.

Authorities said Ayman Ghazali, 41, recorded a video minutes before the assault, expressing his intention to kill as many members of the large Jewish congregation as possible. FBI Detroit chief Jennifer Runyan detailed Monday that Ghazali waited several hours in the synagogue parking lot before ramming his Ford F150 through the doors and into the early childhood education area. He hit a security guard and exchanged gunfire with another before fatally shooting himself. While 150 children and staff were present at the time, no one else was injured.

Investigators reported that Ghazali sent two final videos to a sister overseas shortly before the attack. In the videos, he claimed he had booby-trapped the vehicle and intended to carry out a mass shooting at the synagogue, which he described as "the largest gathering place for Israelis in the State of Michigan." The truck was later found to contain commercial-grade fireworks and over 30 gallons of gasoline, but did not explode despite catching fire on impact.

The FBI's review of Ghazali's social media uncovered videos and images praising Hezbollah's ideology. Authorities also stated that Ghazali had researched Michigan synagogues in the days leading up to the attack and purchased an AK-style rifle and ammunition shortly beforehand.

Ghazali, a Dearborn Heights resident, immigrated to the United States in 2011 and became a citizen in 2016. His brother, identified by Israel's military as a Hezbollah commander, was killed in Lebanon days before the attack. Ghazali's ex-wife had contacted police expressing concern for his mental state following the loss of family members during a recent Israeli airstrike.

Federal officials highlighted the attack as part of a disturbing rise in assaults on religious institutions. The investigation into the incident remains active, with authorities continuing to review evidence collected from the scene.