FBI Details Hezbollah‑Inspired Temple Israel Michigan Attack and Attacker’s Plot to Kill Jews
The FBI says the March 12 attack at Temple Israel in a Detroit suburb by Ayman Mohamad Ghazali was a Hezbollah‑inspired act of terrorism: Ghazali drove a Ford F‑150 into the synagogue’s early‑childhood hallway, exchanged gunfire with security (one guard was injured), fatally shot himself, and no congregants were hurt. Investigators say he researched local synagogues and events, consumed pro‑Hezbollah and Iranian media, recorded a video saying he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can,” purchased an AK/AR‑style rifle and roughly 300 rounds plus commercial fireworks and over 30 gallons of gasoline, and — though not previously on watchlists — planned the attack after months of online searching; FBI officials stress the terrorism designation followed a thorough review.
📌 Key Facts
- On March 12, attacker Ayman Mohamad Ghazali drove a Ford F-150 into Temple Israel in a Detroit suburb, crashing through doors into an early childhood education hallway after sitting in the synagogue parking lot for hours; he struck and injured one security guard, exchanged gunfire with another, and ultimately fatally shot himself—no children or staff were hurt.
- The FBI identified Ghazali as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali; he died at the scene, was not on any terrorist watchlist, and had not been the subject of prior investigations. DHS records show he entered the U.S. in 2011 on an immediate-relative visa and became a naturalized citizen in 2016. Israeli officials have said his brother, Ibrahim Ghazali, was a reported Hezbollah commander killed in Lebanon on March 5.
- Investigators say Ghazali was "inspired by Hezbollah’s militant ideology," regularly consumed pro‑Hezbollah and Iranian media and violent videos, and had Hezbollah‑aligned propaganda and militant imagery on his social media.
- Minutes before the assault Ghazali recorded a video saying he wanted to "kill as many of them as I possibly can" and calling Temple Israel the "largest gathering place for Israelis" in Michigan, according to the FBI.
- In the days before the attack (beginning March 9) Ghazali conducted online reconnaissance of local synagogues and Jewish events—including Temple Israel’s schedule—sent 19 messages to his sister from the parking lot as she urged him to stop, and made several short calls to his ex‑wife, who alerted police with a welfare check.
- Ghazali heavily prepared for violence: agents say he purchased a semi‑automatic rifle (reported as AK/AR‑style), about 300 rounds of .223 ammunition and roughly 10 magazines (after an unsuccessful attempt to buy a gun from two individuals), practiced at a shooting range, and loaded his truck with commercial‑grade fireworks and containers holding more than 30 gallons of gasoline.
- The gasoline containers ignited during the incident but did not explode; investigators say the large fireworks purchase (reported at over $2,200) and fuel suggest possible plans for additional explosives or arson.
- FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan emphasized the terrorism designation was made only after a "thorough review and keen evaluation of the facts," and U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon noted it is legally irrelevant whether Hezbollah leaders directly ordered the attack or the assailant acted on the group's ideological calls to kill Jews.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, people of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry made up 54.5% of Dearborn's population, marking the first time they constituted a majority in the city.
Census data shows Arab American population in Dearborn now makes up majority of people living there — ClickOnDetroit
The Arab American population in Michigan has more than doubled since 1980, with at least 310,000 residents of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry in 2023, comprising 3.1% of the state's population.
Arab Americans now a majority in Dearborn, new census data shows — Detroit Free Press
Antisemitic incidents in the United States reached 9,354 in 2024, a 5% increase from 2023, marking the highest number recorded since tracking began.
FBI: Nearly 70% of U.S. Religion-Based Hate Crimes Target Jews — Israeli Missions Around The World
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act facilitated increased immigration from the Middle East, including Lebanon, with subsequent waves driven by the Lebanese Civil War starting in 1975.
Waves of Immigration from the Middle East to the United States — American Economic Association
From 2017 to 2019, an average of about 1,000 Lebanese immigrants naturalized annually in the United States.
Table 21. Persons Naturalized by Region and Country of Birth — DHS Office of Homeland Security Statistics
Hezbollah-affiliated criminal cases in the United States from 2001 to 2021 primarily involved material support, fraud, and narcotics, with limited direct attacks.
Hezbollah’s Operations in the United States: Two Decades in Review — George Washington University Program on Extremism
📰 Source Timeline (5)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- FBI Detroit chief Jennifer Runyan says attacker Ayman Ghazali recorded a video minutes before the assault stating he wanted to 'kill as many of them as I possibly can' at Temple Israel and calling it the 'largest gathering place for Israelis' in Michigan.
- The FBI describes how Ghazali sat in the synagogue parking lot for hours on March 12, then drove his Ford F-150 through doors into an early childhood education hallway, striking one security guard, exchanging gunfire with another, and ultimately fatally shooting himself.
- Agents say Ghazali had purchased an AK‑style rifle and about 300 rounds of ammunition on March 9, practiced at a shooting range, and loaded his truck with commercial‑grade fireworks and containers holding more than 30 gallons of gasoline, which ignited but did not explode.
- Investigators found Hezbollah‑aligned propaganda and militant imagery on Ghazali’s social media, and Runyan says he searched for multiple Michigan synagogues and Jewish cultural sites before choosing Temple Israel, even looking up its lunchtime schedule.
- DHS records show Ghazali came to the U.S. in 2011 on an immediate-relative visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and became a naturalized citizen in 2016; Israel has publicly said his brother Ibrahim Ghazali was a Hezbollah commander killed in Lebanon on March 5.
- FBI Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan publicly stated that agents do not make the terrorism characterization lightly and only after "thorough review and keen evaluation of the facts."
- Officials disclosed that suspect Ayman Ghazali recorded a video before the attack saying he wanted to "kill as many of them as I possibly can."
- PBS confirms no one at Temple Israel in the Detroit suburb was injured and that Ghazali fatally shot himself after exchanging gunfire with a security guard.
- Identifies the assailant by full name: Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who died after exchanging gunfire with security.
- Clarifies the attack method: Ghazali drove a car into Temple Israel around noon on March 12 and then engaged in a gunfight with security, injuring one guard; no children or staff were hurt.
- Provides detailed FBI findings that Ghazali was "inspired by Hezbollah’s militant ideology" and frequently consumed pro‑Hezbollah and Iranian news plus violent videos.
- Reveals that, starting March 9, Ghazali searched online for local synagogues and Jewish events, including Temple Israel’s upcoming events, and tried unsuccessfully to buy a gun from two individuals before purchasing an AR‑style rifle at a Dearborn Heights gun store along with 10 magazines and ~300 rounds of .223 ammunition.
- Adds that Ghazali bought more than $2,200 in fireworks and possessed over 30 gallons of gasoline, suggesting possible plans for additional explosives or arson.
- Details pre‑attack communications: he posted about family reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike with retribution language, sent 19 messages to his sister from the synagogue parking lot as she urged him to stop, and made five short calls to his ex‑wife, who then called police for a welfare check.
- States that Ghazali was not on any terrorist watchlist and had not been the subject of prior investigations.
- Includes a key quote from U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon emphasizing that legally it makes no difference whether Hezbollah leaders directly ordered the attack or the attacker acted on their ideological calls to kill Jews.