Federal authorities announced on Monday that Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, who crashed his pickup truck into a synagogue in Michigan earlier this month, had been influenced by Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group. His goal appeared to be to target as many Jews as possible.
According to officials, Ghazali deliberately chose a location in West Bloomfield that had over 100 children present before being shot and killed by police while attempting a mass killing on March 12. This incident reportedly was fueled by the deaths of several families in Lebanon during the ongoing conflict with Israel.
In the lead-up to the attack, Ghazali allegedly set up booby traps and gathered materials, like fireworks and explosives, in his truck. Just before the assault, he spent time in the parking lot of Temple Israel, sending a video to his sister in Lebanon, which showed him holding a weapon while listening to battle songs.
FBI Special Agent Jennifer Runyon shared that in one of his videos, he stated, “This is the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan. We’ve booby-trapped the cars. We’re going to force entry and start shooting them. God willing, we’re going to kill as many Israelis as we can.”
James Gorgon, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, commented that if Ghazali had survived, he would have faced charges for providing “material support” to Hezbollah, potentially making him a weapon aimed at one of Michigan’s largest Jewish communities.
Leading up to the attack, Ghazali apparently consumed propaganda promoting Hezbollah and Iranian extremism, planning a so-called “special operation” to inflict mass casualties. He even created a Facebook album named “Revenge,” filled with images and quotes from Hezbollah leaders. He sent a photo to his sister showing an Israeli flag painted over in yellow, a color symbolizing loyalty to Hezbollah.
Hours before the attack, he posted on Facebook, “You killed the Alis and Husseins of our time. We will avenge their blood,” referring to family members he lost abroad. Another post read, “We seek retribution for their sacred blood,” and stated that “Israel is a cancerous, malignant growth.” He had been scouting local synagogues for three days, believing he was targeting “the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan.” His preparations included purchasing an AR-style rifle and over 300 rounds of ammunition, along with significant amounts of fireworks.
In one final preparation, he accumulated about 35 gallons of gasoline in a collapsible container to use as an accelerant, planning to combine it with the fireworks before crashing into the synagogue.
Moments before launching his attack, Ghazali sent a series of 19 videos and messages to his sister, confirming his involvement in his extensive plan. The attack itself involved a gunfight with synagogue security guards, which led to Ghazali igniting the explosives inside his vehicle after crashing into the synagogue’s entrance.
While he acted alone, officials highlighted that he followed Hezbollah’s propaganda to commit the violence. “Some attempts to label this as the work of an isolated lone wolf are not quite accurate,” Gorgon remarked. He assured that there would be sufficient evidence to prove Ghazali provided material support to Hezbollah.
Interestingly, it was noted that Ghazali had not been on any terrorist watch list nor previously under investigation by the FBI before this event. Although no evidence of co-conspirators was found, the West Bloomfield Police Chief, Dale Young, expressed unwavering commitment to the safety of the Jewish community, pledging to protect them from any threats.
