The suspected armed attacker who authorities say rammed his vehicle into a Michigan synagogue Thursday has been identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Lebanon, the Department of Homeland Security told The Independent.
Ghazali is accused of ramming his vehicle into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The suspect died after exchanging gunfire with security guards.
The FBI is investigating the attack as an “act of targeted violence against the Jewish community” but said a specific motive for the attack is not yet clear.
The synagogue also operates a preschool, according to MLive. No kids or staff members were injured, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard told reporters.
“We have no victims other than one of the lead security people, who was hit by the car and was taken to the hospital for treatment. That individual should be OK,” he said.
The suspect’s car had mortars inside, CNN reports, citing law enforcement sources.
On Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump said he’s been “fully briefed” on the incident, which he described as “a terrible thing.”
Photos show response after attack at suburban Detroit synagogue
Photos show response after attack at suburban Detroit synagogue
A man armed with a rifle rammed a vehicle into Temple Israel in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield Township, and the car burst into flames before the attacker was fatally shot by security. Police and investigators secured the scene as worried parents rushed to pick up their children from the synagogue’s early childhood center.
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 05:00
WATCH: Michigan Temple Israel attack — Full press conference
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 03:59
Notable attacks on houses of worship worldwide in past 15 years
Despite the billions who attend weekly worship services globally with remarkable safety, a recent ambush on one of the nation’s largest synagogues has intensified fear among clergy and worshippers worldwide.
This attack, occurring on Thursday, is the latest in a series targeting religious buildings and has intensified fear among clergy and worshippers worldwide.
Historically, annual fatalities from such assaults rarely exceed a few hundred, yet the current climate has underscored a growing concern.
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 03:00
What is Reform Judaism? History of the movement after attack on US synagogue
Temple Israel, the Michigan synagogue recently targeted in an attack, stands as a prominent institution within Reform Judaism, North America’s largest branch of the faith.
This denomination is known for its progressive values, including a strong emphasis on social justice and gender equality.
With approximately 3,500 families and over 12,000 members, Temple Israel boasts the second-largest congregation in the denomination, according to the Union for Reform Judaism.
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 02:00
Department of Homeland Security identifies Temple Israel attacker as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese national who became a U.S. citizen in 2016
The Department of Homeland Security identified the Temple Israel attacker as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali.
According to the DHS, Ghazali was born in Lebanon in 1985 and arrived in the U.S. on May 10, 2011 through the Detroit Metropolitan International Airport.
He was married to a U.S. citizen. In October 2015 he applied for naturalization and he became a U.S. citizen in February 2016.
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 01:26
WATCH: Michigan lawmaker: ‘We have to stand up to hate’ after 3 religious attacks
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 01:00
Michigan lawmaker who attends Temple Israel says she is ‘absolutely shaken’ following attack
Michigan state Representative Samantha Steckloff said the Thursday attack on her place of worship, Temple Israel, has left her “absolutely shaken.”
She told CNN that she lives approximately four miles from the synagogue, and said antisemitic attacks were on the rise.
“When you have so many people blaming the Jewish community across the world for a war that is being done in the Middle East, the divisiveness you have seen boil up for the past few years was just almost ripe for the picking,” Steckloff said.
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 00:40
FBI Special Agent Jennifer Runyan said more than 100 bureau agents responded to the attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in Michigan on Thursday.
During a press briefing on Thursday evening, Runyan said that various agents — including bomb specialists and members of its evidence collection and weapons of mass destruction teams — were assigned to work on the attack.
She said the agents are “pursuing diligently and methodically every lead that we have.”
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 00:20
Oakland County sheriff vows to protect Jewish community in Michigan
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said during a Thursday night press conference that law enforcement entities in Michigan would work to protect Jewish institutions from further attacks.
“If you think you can target the Jewish community in this county or anywhere in this state, you’re wrong,” he said during the briefing. “We’re going to not only stand in front of them to protect them, we’re coming for you.”
Graig Graziosi13 March 2026 00:00
Michigan attorney general worries antisemitic attacks will scare people away from visiting synagogues and other Jewish institutions
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday that she fears antisemitic attacks like the one at Temple Israel will dissuade Americans from visiting Jewish synagogues and cultural institutions.
She also said she believes the Iran War influenced Thursday’s attack.
“I think we can absolutely draw a nexus between the war in Iran and the events of today,” Nessel said. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that out of all the synagogues or temples that this individual could have picked, he picked the one that is named Temple Israel.”
Graig Graziosi12 March 2026 23:25
