The FBI says that the vehicle-ramming attack earlier this month at Temple Israel near Detroit, carried out by Ayman Mohamed Ghazali, was inspired by Hezbollah.
The FBI has determined that the vehicle-ramming attack earlier this month at Temple Israel near Detroit, carried out by Ayman Mohamed Ghazali, was inspired by Hezbollah. Authorities say the incident is being treated as a terrorist attack.
Ayman Ghazali recorded a video before the attack where he he said he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can,” said Jennifer Runyan, head of the FBI in Detroit, the Associated Press reports.
“We assess this attack to be a Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism, purposefully targeting the Jewish community and the largest Jewish temple in Michigan. The FBI defines terrorism as a violent criminal act by an individual who was inspired by or associated with a designated foreign terrorist organization. We do not make this characterization lightly without a thorough review and careful evaluation of the facts. In this case, the evidence shows the attacker was motivated and inspired by Hezbollah’s militant ideology," Runyan said.
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Although the assailant’s attack planning and mobilization of violence began in earnest on March 9, a review of his online activity since January 2026 revealed a recurring search history of pro-Hezbollah news channels, Iranian news channels, and videos about shootouts and bullets. He regularly consumed breaking news, statements, and live coverage of the current Secretary General of Hezbollah, Naim Qassem, and viewed news coverage of an Iranian fatwa for total jihad against the US military. Beginning on March 9, during the early morning hours, the assailant started viewing web pages of local synagogues and attempted to purchase a weapon from two different individuals.”
On March 11, he began uploading images to a Facebook album titled “vengeance,” Runyan said. The posts included photos of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, reports ABC.
According to the FBI, Ghazali began researching local synagogues on March 9 and searched phrases such as “largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan” and “Israelis near me,” while also attempting to delete his search history. He initially tried to obtain a firearm through private sales before purchasing an AR-style rifle, ammunition, and magazines from a gun store, and later practiced at a shooting range.
Investigators said Ghazali also bought more than $2,200 worth of fireworks and used approximately 35 gallons of gasoline during the attack, which contributed to the fire that engulfed parts of the synagogue.
On the morning of March 12, he posted images of deceased family members online and sent his sister multiple messages and videos expressing intent to carry out the attack. Authorities said he later drove his truck into the building, struck a security guard, and opened fire before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during an exchange with security personnel.
Ghazali was born in Lebanon and first entered the US legally in 2011 before being naturalized into a US citizen in 2016.
https://rumble.com/embed/v75gw6o/?pub=2n05b
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