A man who rammed his vehicle into a Michigan synagogue and drove through a hallway on Thursday has died during the incident, officials said. The suspect has been identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, a Lebanese-born US citizen who entered the country in 2011.
The attack occurred at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield township, a suburb of Detroit. The FBI is treating it as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community”. No other serious casualties were reported, though one security guard was injured and 30 officers were treated for smoke inhalation after the suspect’s vehicle caught fire.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the suspect breached the building, drove down a hallway, and was engaged by security staff who fired shots. It is not yet clear how the suspect died, with possibilities including being shot by staff, suicide, or other causes. The vehicle fire has complicated the investigation.
The temple’s early childhood centre confirmed all 140 students, along with teachers and staff, were safe. “Everything that was supposed to happen, happened,” Bouchard said. “Security did their job, and then the responders did theirs.”
The FBI and local authorities are continuing to investigate the motive. The incident comes amid heightened concerns over antisemitism in the US.
