Feds ID Suspect In MI Synagogue Attack: What We Know

WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI — A man who rammed his vehicle into a West Bloomfield synagogue Thursday, injuring one, has been identified as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen, according to reports citing U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said Ghazali was a resident from his area. He also said that Ghazali "lost several members of his own family, including his niece and nephew, in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon."

The incident happened Thursday at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan's largest synagogue, which also houses an early childhood center, officials said.

Officials said the man intentionally drove a vehicle through the front doors of the synagogue, striking a security guard and continuing down a hallway.

The vehicle then came to a rest and caught fire after armed guards fired shots, officials said.

Ghazali was found shot dead inside the vehicle. Officials did not say how he died or reveal a motive for the attack.

Investigators were still looking into what ignited inside the truck.

The FBI confirmed they are investigating the incident as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.

Officials said Ghazali came to the United States in 2011, applied for naturalization in 2015 and was granted U.S. citizenship in 2016.

Officials said no students or staff were injured in the incident. The security guard who was struck by the vehicle was taken to a nearby hospital and expected to be OK, officials said.

Preschool was in session at the time of the attack. Temple Israel said 140 students were in its early childhood center at the time of the attack.

“We are deeply and humbly grateful to our teachers, staff, security, law enforcement, and Shenendoah Country Club that welcomed us, fed us, and sheltered our staff, teachers, children, and parents. What incredible neighbors we have. What incredible police force we have,” it said in a statement on Facebook.