FBI Classifies Michigan Synagogue Ramming as Hezbollah-Inspired Act of Terrorism

The FBI classified the March 12, 2026, vehicle-ramming attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, as a "Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism," the agency announced on March 30. Jennifer Runyan, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit field office, said the attack was "purposely targeting the Jewish community and the largest Jewish temple in Michigan." The attacker, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old Lebanese-born U.S. citizen, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the attack. No one else was killed, though a security guard was injured when Ghazali's truck struck him, and several emergency responders were treated for smoke inhalation. More than 140 children were inside the synagogue's education center at the time of the attack.

Attacker sent video vowing mass casualties minutes before strike Ghazali drove a pickup truck loaded with professional fireworks and gasoline cans into the gates of Temple Israel, entered a hallway in the children's education area, and then exchanged gunfire with a security guard before taking his own life. According to Runyan, Ghazali had parked in the synagogue's lot for several hours before carrying out the attack. Approximately ten minutes before ramming the building, he sent a video message to his sister declaring his intentions. „Based on the evidence gathered to date, we assess this attack to be a Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism purposely targeting the Jewish community and the largest Jewish temple in Michigan” — Jennifer Runyan via France 24 In the video sent to his sister, Ghazali described Temple Israel as "the largest gathering of Israelis in the state of Michigan" and stated he had booby-trapped the vehicle and planned to force his way in and open fire. Runyan confirmed Ghazali had spent the days before the attack researching Jewish cultural, religious, and educational centers in the Detroit area while simultaneously purchasing equipment. The FBI found no evidence of co-conspirators, and Ghazali was not under federal investigation nor on a U.S. terror watch list before the attack.

U.S. attorney links attack to Hezbollah's call to kill Jews Jerome Borgen, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, stated at the same press conference that Ghazali had acted under Hezbollah's "direction and control." Borgen argued that terrorist propaganda is designed to activate so-called lone wolves to act on behalf of a terrorist organization, and that it made no legal difference whether Hezbollah's current secretary-general, Naim Qassem, had personally ordered the attack or whether Ghazali had simply responded to the group's broader incitement. „Had this man lived, I am convinced that my office would prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed the federal crime of providing material support to Hezbollah” — Jerome Borgen via Reuters Runyan clarified that while Ghazali had consumed pro-Hezbollah ideology prior to the attack, the FBI had not been able to verify formal membership in the organization. Investigators noted that Ghazali had begun sharing photos on social media of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026 — the day before the attack. According to a New York Times report cited by France 24, Ghazali's brother Ibrahim, Ibrahim's two children, and another brother named Qassem were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon on March 5, 2026. Runyan noted, however, that Ghazali had been consuming pro-Hezbollah material even before his family members were killed.

Temple Israel among largest Reform congregations in North America Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, describes itself as the largest congregation of Reform Judaism in the United States and, as of 2012, the largest Jewish congregation in North America, according to the congregation's own claims. The United States designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Hezbollah was founded in 1982 by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is also designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. The synagogue, which has approximately 12,000 members, operates a child education center and offers programs for families and adults. The attack occurred less than two weeks after the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, 2026. Similar attacks on synagogues were recorded in Belgium and Canada in the weeks surrounding the Michigan incident, according to reporting by JN. The FBI's announcement on March 30 came 18 days after the attack itself, following an investigation that included analysis of Ghazali's social media activity, video messages, purchasing records, and research history in the days leading up to March 12.