Authorities have preliminarily identified the suspect in the recent attack on a Michigan synagogue as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old American citizen originally from Lebanon. This information comes from three law enforcement sources who shared details with Fox News.
The incident, which took place on Thursday, involved Ghazali allegedly targeting the Jewish community following personal family tragedies in Lebanon. According to Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun, Ghazali’s actions were fueled by losses he suffered during conflicts between Lebanon and Israel. Ghazali was a resident of Dearborn Heights.
In a dramatic sequence of events, Ghazali is accused of driving a vehicle into Temple Israel, a prominent Reform Jewish synagogue located in West Bloomfield, at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time. Exiting the vehicle, he reportedly brandished a rifle and engaged in a gunfight with the synagogue’s armed security team, who ultimately shot and killed him.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the identity of the attacker to Fox News, stating, “The tragic attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan was carried out by Ayman Mohamad Ghazali.”
The attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in Michigan was reported as an active shooter situation on Thursday, March 12, 2026, according to local news station WJBK.
Investigation underway
Mayor Mo Baydoun further elaborated on social media, noting that the attacker’s motivations seemingly stemmed from the grief of losing several family members in an Israeli military action that struck their home in Lebanon.
“Earlier today, we learned that the individual responsible for the incident that took place at Temple Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield was a resident of Dearborn Heights. He died at the scene,” Mo Baydoun said.
“Earlier this month, he lost several members of his own family, including his niece and nephew, in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon.”
Baydoun further condemned the attack and urged residents to stay aware and vigilant, “especially as we gather during these sacred final days of Ramadan.”
A woman gathers children as law enforcement respond to a call at Temple Israel synagogue on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Mich. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)
Pathway to the US
Multiple law enforcement sources and federal authorities said the suspect, who lived near Dearborn, Michigan, entered the United States as the spouse of a U.S. citizen roughly 15 years ago under the Obama administration. He was subsequently granted citizenship five years later in 2016.
Ghazali, who was born in Lebanon on Jan. 4, 1985, entered the U.S. through the Detroit Metropolitan International Airport, on May 10, 2011, as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, according to the DHS.
He reportedly held an IR1 immigrant visa — a type of green card typically granted to couples married for at least two years at the time of visa approval or entry — indicating that the couple was married by May 2009.
Before his arrival, his partner filed two petitions in December 2009 under a dual-filing strategy, a fiancé petition and an alien relative petition, both of which were approved in April 2010, authorities said.
He then applied for naturalization on Oct. 20, 2015, and was granted U.S. citizenship on Feb. 5, 2016, under the Obama administration.
Local media outlet The Detroit News added that Ghazali was a worker in Dearborn Heights.
Law enforcement officials cautioned that the identification remains preliminary as investigators continue to investigate Thursday’s incident.
Aftermath of attack
Heavy police presence was seen at the Temple Israel, a synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Mich., following reports of an active shooter on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Fox 2)
In the wake of the attack, Henry Ford Health reported that at least eight first responders involved in the incident were treated at the hospital by emergency teams.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said earlier that one security guard was struck by the suspect’s truck. The number of affected responders then rose significantly, with roughly 30 officers taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation after entering the building, Bouchard added in an update.
All preschool children and staff at the temple had been safely evacuated from the synagogue.
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