The man accused of ramming his car into a Michigan synagogue on Thursday before being killed by security guards was a 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon, federal officials said.
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drove his vehicle into the Temple Israel Synagogue on Thursday afternoon and swiftly encountered security officers who engaged him with gunfire, according to officials. The FBI is investigating the “active shooter situation” as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” the agency said following the attack.
Ghazali arrived in the United States in 2011 on an IR1 visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, the Department of Homeland Security said, and was granted citizenship in 2016.
Jennifer Runyan, FBI Detroit’s special agent in charge, said only one Ghazali was involved in the shooting. The FBI is investigating the “deeply disturbing and tragic incident” as “a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community,” she said.
The synagogue’s robust security guards were hailed as heroes by Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard during a press briefing. The sheriff said that security personnel “stopped the threat,” with no children or staff losing their lives. The head of security was taken to the hospital after being hit by the attacker’s car when it breached the building and began “traveling with purpose down the hall,” the sheriff said. Thirty law enforcement personnel were taken to the hospital with injuries sustained from smoke inhalation after the vehicle caught on fire, Bouchard added.
Bouchard delivered strong words toward antisemitic perpetrators of violence.
“If you think you can target the Jewish community in this county or anywhere in this state, you’re wrong. We’re going to not only stand in front of them to protect them — we’re coming for you,” he said.
CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit Steven Ingber also spoke at the press conference, telling attendees, “It’s a tough time, but we will get through this.”
“We’ll continue to be loud and proud of being Jewish. This will not change us. This will not deter us,” he said.
It was gunshots fired by the security personnel that neutralized the attacker at the synagogue on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. There were no other deaths.
At least eight first responders were taken to Detroit-area hospitals following the ramming, Henry Ford Health, a Michigan-based health system, told CNN. A security guard, who was hit by the vehicle and knocked unconscious, was also taken to the hospital.
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The attack has provoked an outpouring of support for the Jewish community, as onlookers condemn the apparent act of violent antisemitism. Michigan’s Jewish community “should be able to live and practice their faith in peace,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) said following the attack. Temple Israel Synagogue is one of the country’s largest Reform houses of worship and the largest in metropolitan Detroit.
The latest incident comes as antisemitism has spiked in the United States and across the world, particularly in major metropolitan areas such as New York City. There was a 182% increase in antisemitic hate crimes in January 2026 compared to January 2025, according to the New York City Police Department.
