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Good Guy With a Gun Helped Stop Synagogue Attack in Michigan

Scott McClallen
Scott McClallen  |  March 13, 2026 7:00 PM

On Thursday, a good guy with a gun helped eliminate a man who drove a truck through the Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. 

Security officers exchanged fire with the man who attacked a building where Jewish people worshiped and dropped off their kids. The building housed 140 kids, all of whom were reunited with their families the same day. 

This was the third attack on a house of worship in Michigan within a year. In September, a man rammed his truck into a church of the Latter Day Saints in Grand Blanc before he killed four people and set the church on fire. 

In June, a man opened fired a weapon outside of CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan. A church deacon hit the attacker with a truck and a security guard fatally shot the attacker before he could enter the church, where a congregation was gathered.

The federal government identified the suspected attacker as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Ghazali likely attacked the synagogue because his family members were killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon. But that’s not a reason to target 140 innocent kids. 

Ghazali's two adult brothers were reportedly members of Hezbollah, according to Lebanese officials. 




Solid, regular training likely helped prevent any victim casualties. The FBI trained the synagogue members and security for an active shooter earlier this year. 

Oftentimes, when tragedy strikes and an unhinged person tries to kill others, there’s no time to wait for the police to respond. The police responded within five minutes, but by then, security had already eliminated the threat. Thank you to the security guards at Israel Temple who saved the lives of 140 children and the staff of the synagogue.