FBI says a man who crashed his pickup into Michigan synagogue was inspired by Hezbollah
Mar 30, 2026, 12:40 PM | Updated: 3:40 pm
Police tape hangs outside the Temple Israel synagogue Friday, March 13, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
DETROIT (AP) — A man who crashed his pickup truck into a Detroit-area synagogue earlier in March was carrying out an attack inspired by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization, the FBI said Monday.
Ayman Ghazali made a video before the attack at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, saying he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can,” said Jennifer Runyan, head of the FBI in Detroit.
Ghazali, 41, of Dearborn Heights sat in the parking lot for a few hours on March 12 before smashing his pickup through closed doors and into the hallway of an early childhood education area, striking a security guard.
He then exchanged gunfire with another guard before fatally shooting himself, the FBI said at the time. The Ford F150, stocked with commercial-grade fireworks and jugs of gasoline, caught fire during the confrontation.
First responders quickly cleared the building, and no one among the 150 children and staff was injured, officials said.
