Lebanese-born suspect identified in Michigan synagogue attack, sources say

The suspect in Thursday’s attack that targeted a Jewish synagogue in Michigan has been preliminarily identified as 41-year-old Lebanese-born American citizen Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, according to three law enforcement sources who spoke to Fox News.

He reportedly targeted the Jewish community after suffering family losses in Lebanon during the country’s conflict with Israel, Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said, adding that Ghazali was a resident of the city.

Ghazali allegedly rammed a vehicle into Temple Israel, a large Reform Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield, at roughly 12:30 p.m. local time. He then exited the vehicle with a rifle and exchanged gunfire with armed security, who shot and killed him.

“The tragic attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan was carried out by Ayman Mohamad Ghazali,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed to Fox News.

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Investigation underway

The mayor of Dearborn Heights said in a statement on social media that the suspect reportedly lost several family members in an Israeli attack on 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.” 

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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

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.

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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.