Lebanese-Born Gunman Killed After Targeting Michigan Synagogue

The suspect has been identified as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese-born American citizen.

By United with Israel Staff

An armed attacker who targeted a Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, on Thursday was killed after exchanging gunfire with security personnel, authorities said, as Jewish institutions across the area increased security measures.

Police responded to reports of gunfire and a vehicle ramming attempt at Temple Israel, prompting a major law enforcement response and shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents. Authorities said the suspect approached the synagogue armed with a rifle and engaged a security guard, leading to a shootout outside the building.

No additional casualties were reported.

The suspect has been identified as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese-born American citizen, according to law enforcement sources cited by Fox News. The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed that Ghazali carried out the attack.

Officials said Ghazali died at the scene following the exchange of gunfire with synagogue security.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said the suspect was a resident of the city and had reportedly recently lost several family members in Lebanon during fighting with Israel.

“Earlier today, we learned that the individual responsible for the incident that took place at Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield was a resident of Dearborn Heights,” Baydoun wrote in a statement on social media. “He died at the scene.”

The mayor added that earlier this month the suspect had reportedly lost relatives, including a niece and nephew, in an Israeli strike on their home in Lebanon.

Authorities have not indicated that anyone else was involved in the attack. Residents in nearby neighborhoods were initially instructed to remain indoors while police secured the area.

Students and staff from a neighboring school and daycare affiliated with the synagogue were evacuated as a precaution.

The Jewish Federation of Detroit confirmed that law enforcement was responding to the incident and directed Jewish organizations across the region to enter a “lockout protocol,” restricting entry and exit from their buildings while the situation unfolded.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was monitoring the situation closely and coordinating with state authorities, while FBI agents from the bureau’s Detroit office joined the investigation.

Temple Israel, founded in 1941, is one of the largest Jewish congregations in the United States with more than 3,000 members and houses an Early Childhood Learning Center preschool. The Metro Detroit area is home to roughly 71,000 Jewish residents, according to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

The attack comes amid heightened concern over threats targeting Jewish communities in the United States, as security at synagogues and Jewish institutions has been strengthened nationwide.