Temple Israel synagogue attack
2026 attack in Michigan, US
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
On March 12, 2026, a shooting and vehicle-ramming attack occurred at Temple Israel, a Reform synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, United States. 41-year-old Ayman Mohamed Ghazali rammed his vehicle into the building and opened fire before he was killed. The vehicle caught fire, possibly from something flammable inside, and severely burned Ghazali's body. One security guard was struck and injured by the vehicle and 63 law enforcement officers were transported to hospitals to be treated for smoke inhalation.[2][3]
.jpg)
Temple Israel,
5725 Walnut Lake Road
West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, US
12:19 p.m. (EDT)
| Temple Israel synagogue attack | |
|---|---|
Entrance to Temple Israel the day after the attack | |
 | |
| Location | 42.55482°N 83.39577°W Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, US |
| Date | March 12, 2026 12:19 p.m. (EDT) |
| Target | Temple Israel |
Attack type | Vehicle-ramming attack, shooting, shootout |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 1 (the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 64 (1 security officer, 63 law enforcement officers by smoke inhalation) |
| Perpetrator | Ayman Mohamed Ghazali |
Background
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.[4] With 3,500 member families and 12,000 members in 2026, the congregation describes itself as "the nation's largest Reform synagogue".[5]
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.[6][7]
Attack
Before carrying out the attack, Ghazali waited at the synagogue's parking lot for more than two hours.[8] Shortly before 12:19 p.m. EDT, he drove his truck into the front entrance of the synagogue.[9] The attacker drove the vehicle through the doors and down the hall,[10] striking a guard, who was the congregation's director of security, after which the truck burst into flames.[11][12][13][14] The vehicle jammed in the hallway, after which two armed security guards exchanged fire with Ghazali, shooting through his windshield and rear window.[8]
Reports indicated that Ghazali opened fire with a rifle after crashing his vehicle, and that ambulances and other emergency vehicles were on site.[15] During the shootout, the truck's glove compartment caught on fire. Ghazali, still in the vehicle, committed suicide by a gunshot to his head.[16][14][8] Smoke could be seen billowing from the building and causing heavy damage.[17] Ghazali's body was reportedly badly burned.[18] Other security officers took the injured guard to a nearby hospital, and he is expected to survive.[10] Sixty-three law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.[19][14] Henry Ford Health reported that its medical teams were caring for eight injured first responders, though the nature of their injuries was not provided.[20]
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.[21]
Law enforcement officers briefed on the scene reported that responders found "what appeared to be a large amount of explosives in the vehicle."[22] FBI agent Jennifer Runyan later confirmed that fireworks and flammable liquid, likely gasoline, were discovered in the truck's bed.[14]
Michigan State Police warned of an active shooter and nearby residents and schools sheltered-in-place.[23]
Perpetrator
Authorities identified the perpetrator as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamed Ghazali (January 4, 1985[24] – March 12, 2026), a Lebanese-born US citizen and a Hamido Restaurant worker from Dearborn Heights, Michigan.[25] 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. His brothers were reported to have been part of Hezbollah's rocket unit.[26][27][28] Israeli officials stated that one of Ghazali's brothers was a Hezbollah commander who had been killed in an airstrike.[29]
Ghazali was flagged by a government watchlist for his contact with suspected Hezbollah members, but was not said to have been a member himself.[28] 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.[30] Ghazali applied for naturalization in 2015 and was granted US citizenship in 2016.[8]
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.[24] Wayne County Circuit Court confirmed that Ghazali's ex-wife filed for divorce in 2024, and that it was granted the following year.[31] 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".[32]
Aftermath
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.[33]
Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Kash Patel stated that FBI personnel were working with local law enforcement officials on the active shooter situation.[34] 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".[35][36] The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed they are also investigating. Law enforcement officials said a large amount of apparent explosives were found in the back of the suspect's vehicle and that bomb techs and dogs were sent to the scene.[37] Investigators determined that Ghazali purchased about $2,000 worth of fireworks two days before the attack.[38]
Reactions
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer stated "Yesterday's attack was antisemitism. It was hate, plain and simple"[39] and that "Michigan's Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace."[40] Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist stated that "Violence targeted toward the Jewish community, or any community of faith is unacceptable and has no rightful place in Michigan." The state's US Senators responded, with Gary Peters saying that "All Americans should feel safe where they pray, work, and live. Antisemitism has no place in our society and we all must come together to condemn this horrible violence," while his fellow Senator Elissa Slotkin said that "All communities deserve the right to worship safely. All communities. And acts of terror and antisemitism must be condemned and dealt with to the fullest extent of the law."[41]
Michigan state senator Mallory McMorrow advised residents to "stay away from the area and listen to direction from first responders"[5] and expressed how "The rise in antisemitism is not abstract. It's not left or right. It is here."[42] President Donald Trump was briefed on the shooting. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said visual patrols would be at Jewish religious sites.[43] The mayor of Dearborn Heights where the perpetrator of the attack was from, said the suspect had lost two children in his home in Lebanon, and indicated it was a possible motive for the attack.[44] These remarks by mayor Mo Baydoun did draw backlash online, as Baydoun failed to divulge that the attacker also had family in Hezbollah.[45][46]
See also
- 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 – 2025 car and knife attack in England
