The suspected attacker of the Temple Israel synagogue died of a self-inflicted wound to the head, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said in a news conference.
The FBI released new details on the attempted terrorist attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township on Thursday.
The suspected shooter, Ayman Ghazali, of Dearborn Heights, died of a self-inflicted wound to the head after getting trapped inside his Ford F-150, which caught on fire after security guards confronted him.
Ghazali had driven his truck into the synagogue until it was jammed between hallway walls at around 12:20 P.M., when he started firing a weapon out of his windshield. Ghazali exchanged gunfire with two security guards before dying.
BREAKING: The synagogue attacker jammed his truck into a hallway, couldn't get out, and shot himself in the head when confronted by security officers.
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) March 13, 2026
In the truck were large quantities of commercial grade fireworks and several jugs of gasoline.
pic.twitter.com/j4NdYQsWC6
The truck bed held several jugs of flammable liquid and large amounts of commercial-grade fireworks, Runyan said. A security guard was injured by the truck, but no staff or children were harmed by the attack.
SAC Jennifer Runyan provides an approximate timeline of events of the West Bloomfield Attack. pic.twitter.com/PNpPQzxWY9
— FBI Detroit (@FBIDetroit) March 13, 2026
The security guards gave teachers in the building time to safely evacuate about 140 kids who were reunited with their families the same day. The security guards were hailed as heroes.
Recommended
DHS confirms the Michigan synagogue attacker ID’d as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese national who entered the U.S. in 2011 on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. He was naturalized into a U.S. citizen in 2016 during the Obama administration. pic.twitter.com/wuZhp1PzIU
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 13, 2026
Ghazali reportedly attacked the synagogue because his family members, who were reportedly part of Hezbollah, were killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon earlier this month.
🚨 BREAKING: Lebanese official CONFIRMS to @NBCNews that Michigan synagogue attacker Mohamad Ghazali’s two adult brothers WERE HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) March 13, 2026
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun released a cryptic statement about Ghazali's attempt to kill Jewish kids. Baydoun described the attempted terror attack as "the incident that took place at Temple Israel Synagogue."
The terrorist who tried to kill Jews at the Michigan synagogue yesterday lived in Dearborn Heights.
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) March 13, 2026
After the attack, the mayor of Dearborn Heights issued this psychotic statement explicitly excusing antisemitic terrorism pic.twitter.com/THmRyj3ouE
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy Townhall’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member