OAN Staff Katherine Mosack and Brooke Mallory
12:22 PM – Friday, March 13, 2026
The armed perpetrator who rammed his truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday reportedly had relatives who were recently killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon. Investigators believe this loss served as the catalyst for what the targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
Authorities identified Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, as the man who drove his vehicle into the West Bloomfield synagogue. He was killed by security guards before causing any more harm to the synagogue’s staff, teachers, or the 140 children at the early childhood center.
However, Ghazali did injure one security guard during the attack. According to statements from Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, one unnamed security guard, identified in reports as the Jewish congregation’s “director of security,” was struck by the vehicle as Ghazali rammed his truck through the synagogue’s doors and into a hallway.
The impact reportedly knocked the guard unconscious, and he was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Nonetheless, officials have confirmed that his injuries were not life-threatening, and he is expected to quickly recover.
Although no children, teachers, or other staff members were physically harmed, approximately 30 law enforcement officers later required treatment for smoke inhalation due to the fire that broke out when the truck ignited inside the building.
41-year-old Ghazali was born in Lebanon but reportedly became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2016 after entering the country on a sponsorship from his American spouse in 2011.
A source from the Lebanese-American community in Dearborn, Michigan, told CBS News that they had known Ghazali for over a decade and that he was a Dearborn resident who had previously worked at Hamido, a popular Lebanese restaurant in the area.
Court records also show that Ghazali was divorced and had at least one child who lives with their mother in the U.S., according to the Times of Israel.
Reports from Sky News and NBC have noted that Ghazali’s two brothers killed in the strike were allegedly members of Hezbollah, though U.S. authorities are still investigating if Ghazali himself had any formal ties to the group or if he was simply acting as a “lone actor” driven by personal grief.
In late February, the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury, a coordinated aerial campaign targeting Tehran. The strikes were designed to degrade Iran’s military infrastructure and dismantle its nuclear capabilities.
According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, an Israeli airstrike hit the eastern Lebanese town of Machgharah last week. A local official, speaking to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that four of the victims were the relatives of Ayman Ghazali.
The source stated that the strike occurred on March 5th after sunset, as the family gathered in their home to break their Ramadan fast. The victims were identified as Ghazali’s two brothers, Kassim and Ibrahim, and Ibrahim’s two children, Ali and Fatima. While Ibrahim’s wife survived the attack, she remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
The official also noted that Ghazali’s father, who had previously resided in the United States, had recently returned to Lebanon before the strike took place.
Cassi Cohen, Temple Israel’s director of strategic development, spoke to the press after the attack. She was in the hallway when the vehicle crashed into the building. Hearing the loud impact, she immediately recognized the danger, grabbed several nearby staff members, led them into her office and locked the door. They remained there until authorities confirmed the premises were safe.
“When I heard the crash, I knew it was bad,” Cohen said.
Cohen also credited the synagogue’s active shooter training and drills, which occurred back in February, for their quick, instinctive response, noting that the staff knew to avoid the area and secure themselves in a safe location. The drills were conducted by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office.
More than 30 staff members had accompanied the children in the synagogue, she added.
Allison Jacobs, who was among the first parents to be contacted by Temple Israel’s early childhood center, told the press that she had received an emergency notification confirming that her 18-month-old son was safe and accounted for. The school’s automated alert system reached her before she had even become aware that a vehicle had breached the synagogue complex.
“There are no words. I was in complete and utter shock,” Jacobs said.
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