Temple Israel synagogue attack

Established in 1941 with 600 families as members, Temple Israel's first permanent home was constructed in the Palmer Park neighborhood of Detroit, and its current 100,000-square-foot (9,300 m²) facility was constructed in 1980 in West Bloomfield, Michigan.^[5] With 3,500 member families and 12,000 members in 2026, the congregation describes itself as "the nation's largest Reform synagogue".^[6]

In the years after World War II, thousands of Holocaust survivors came to live in the area. In 1984, the community established the nation's first standalone Holocaust museum, in walking distance from Temple Israel. The museum moved from its original location in 2004 and is now named The Zekelman Holocaust Center.^[7][8]

The Jewish Federation of Detroit said a pattern of rising regional and national antisemitism existed prior to the attack.^[9]

Before carrying out the attack, Ghazali waited at the synagogue's parking lot for more than two hours.^[10] Shortly before 12:19 p.m. EDT, he drove his truck into the front entrance of the synagogue.^[11] The attacker drove the vehicle through the doors and down the hall,^[12] striking a guard, who was the congregation's director of security, after which the truck burst into flames.^{[13][14][15][16]} The vehicle jammed in the hallway, preventing Ghazali from exiting it, after which two armed security guards exchanged fire with Ghazali, shooting through his windshield and rear window.^[10][17]

Reports indicated that Ghazali opened fire with a rifle after crashing his vehicle, and that ambulances and other emergency vehicles were on site.^[18] During the shootout, the truck's glove compartment caught on fire. Ghazali, still in the vehicle, committed suicide by a gunshot to his head.^[19][16][10] Smoke could be seen billowing from the building and causing heavy damage.^[20] Ghazali's body was reportedly badly burned.^[21] Other security officers took the injured guard to a nearby hospital, and he is expected to survive.^[12] Sixty-three law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.^[22][16] Henry Ford Health reported that its medical teams were caring for eight injured first responders, though the nature of their injuries was not provided.^[23]

An on-site school at Temple Israel was in session with more than 100 students and a staff of 50, who had been trained on dealing with incidents on-site by barricading doors and preparing evacuation routes. Children were carried out of windows by police and staff and brought to Shenandoah Country Club, where they were reunited with their parents.^[24]

Authorities identified the perpetrator as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamed Ghazali (January 4, 1985^[25] – March 12, 2026), a Lebanese-born US citizen and a Hamido Restaurant worker from Dearborn Heights, Michigan.^[26] A drone strike conducted by the Israel Defense Forces in Machghara, his home town, on March 5 killed two of Ghazali's brothers, one of their children, and the child of his sister-in-law, as part of the 2026 Lebanon war at their home.^[27] His brothers were reported to have been part of Hezbollah's rocket unit.^[28][29][30] Israeli officials stated that one of Ghazali's brothers was a Hezbollah commander who had been killed in an airstrike.^[31]

Ghazali was flagged by a government watchlist for his contact with suspected Hezbollah members, but was not said to have been a member himself.^[30] He had been living in Michigan since he entered the United States on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a US citizen in 2011, after both alien relative and fiancé petitions were approved.^[32] Ghazali applied for naturalization in 2015 and was granted US citizenship in 2016.^[10]

Authorities confirmed that Ghazali posted several images of his relatives who were killed in the Israeli attacks on WhatsApp in the hours before the attack.^[25] Wayne County Circuit Court confirmed that Ghazali's ex-wife filed for divorce in 2024, and that it was granted the following year.^[33] Two minutes after Ghazali attacked Temple Israel, his ex-wife called police to report that he had just called her and told her to "send money overseas" and that she feared he was suicidal because four of his family members had recently been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. When asked if she knew if Ghazali had weapons at home, she said she didn't know and said that "The way that he was talking to me, he was telling me to take care of my family in Lebanon".^[34]

A US official provided a picture to CBS News that Ghazali had sent to a family member in Lebanon on the day of the attack. The picture featured Ghazali holding the AR-15–style rifle he used in the attack edited with verses from the Quran on it in yellow text. The text read in Arabic: "Among the believers are men who have been true to what they pledged to God. Some of them have fulfilled their vow, and some are still waiting. They have never changed," and the lower text referenced "vengeance".^[17]

Michigan State Police warned of an active shooter and nearby residents and schools sheltered-in-place.^[35] Police departments in Michigan and across the country ramped up efforts to protect religious institutions and patrols were increased at houses of worship and schools.^[36] On March 18, police body camera video of officers evacuating children and searching Temple Israel for threats after the attack was released.^[37]

Rabbi Josh Bennett said that Temple Israel suffered major water and smoke damage from the attack and the sprinklers that turned on in response to the fire.^[38][39] The temple also launched a fundraising campaign to raise funds to repair the damage caused by the attack.^[40][41]

Law enforcement officers briefed on the scene reported that responders found "what appeared to be a large amount of explosives in the vehicle."^[42] FBI agent Jennifer Runyan later confirmed that fireworks and flammable liquid, likely gasoline, were discovered in the truck's bed.^[16] The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed they are also investigating.^[43] Investigators determined that Ghazali purchased about $2,000 worth of fireworks two days before the attack.^[44] FBI director Kash Patel stated that FBI personnel were working with local law enforcement officials on the incident.^[45] The special agent in charge for the region said the FBI is investigating the attack as a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community".^[46][47]

• Crime in Michigan
• 2025 Grand Blanc Township church attack, a similar attack where the perpetrator rammed a vehicle into a house of worship before opening fire
• 2026 Old Dominion University shooting, a school shooting that occurred the same day
• Manchester synagogue attack – Terrorist attack in EnglandPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets