Man Who Rammed Explosive-Filled Car Into Jewish Preschool in Michigan Had Brothers Linked to Hezbollah

Authorities have identified the man behind a terror attack targeting a Jewish preschool in Michigan as a 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon whose family had ties to Hezbollah, according to law-enforcement sources,a s reported by The New York Post.

Ayman Mohamad Ghazali attempted to carry out the attack on Thursday when he drove a vehicle loaded with gas canisters and improvised explosive materials into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, where a preschool operates inside the synagogue complex.

Security personnel opened fire, killing Ghazali as his vehicle burst into flames, officials said. No children or staff members were injured in the incident.

DHS says the Michigan synagogue attacker, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, immigrated from Lebanon in 2011 on a visa and later became a U.S. citizen in 2016. pic.twitter.com/cH5uTajcWA

— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 13, 2026

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Law-enforcement sources said Ghazali had previously come to the attention of authorities years earlier.

In 2019, he was reportedly stopped by officials when returning to the United States from an overseas trip after investigators flagged suspected connections to Hezbollah members.

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During questioning about the trip, Ghazali reportedly told authorities he had traveled abroad to undergo a hair transplant procedure.

Investigators also discovered that Ghazali had phone contacts associated with known Hezbollah members, according to sources. The FBI conducted follow-up inquiries at the time, although the outcome of that investigation remains unclear.

Details emerging after the attack also revealed that two of Ghazali’s brothers were killed in a recent Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.

Law-enforcement sources said the brothers, Kassim Ghazali and Ibrahim Ghazali, were known members of the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.

A local official in Mashgharah, Lebanon, told The Associated Press that the strike occurred shortly after sunset on March 5 as the brothers were breaking fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The airstrike also killed two children—Ali and Fatima—who were identified as Ibrahim Ghazali’s children. Ibrahim’s wife was seriously wounded and remains hospitalized, the official said.

The official added that Kassim Ghazali was known locally as a soccer coach and personal trainer, while Ibrahim worked as a school-bus driver.

The strike came days after the United States and Israel launched military operations targeting Iran and Hezbollah positions in the region.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Ghazali was born in Lebanon on Jan. 4, 1985.

The agency said he entered the United States on May 10, 2011, at Detroit Metropolitan International Airport using an IR1 immigrant visa after petitions filed in December 2009 were approved in April 2010.

“He entered the United States on May 10, 2011, at Detroit Metropolitan International Airport on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen after alien relative and fiancé petitions filed in December 2009 were approved in April 2010,” ICE said in a statement posted to X.

The agency added that Ghazali applied for U.S. citizenship on Oct. 20, 2015.

“He applied for naturalization on October 20, 2015, and was granted U.S. citizenship on February 5, 2016, under the Obama administration.”

The tragic attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, was carried out by Ayman Mohamad Ghazali.

He was born in Lebanon on January 4, 1985. He entered the United States on May 10, 2011, at Detroit Metropolitan International Airport on an IR1 immigrant visa…

— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) March 13, 2026

Authorities said Ghazali had lived in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and had traveled to Lebanon multiple times.

A neighbor who lived nearby described Ghazali as someone who appeared outwardly normal within the community.

“During Ramadan, he’d be eating with his family and stuff like that, so I don’t think he was participating in any of that,” said Chadi Zreik, 32.

“I’d see him barbecuing outside. and I was like, ‘Oh, it’s still early, it’s not even sunset,’ so that was just my observation.”

The neighbor said Ghazali worked at Hamido Restaurant and had two young daughters. Court records show his now-ex-wife filed for divorce in 2024, with the divorce finalized months later.

Zreik said he had lived two doors away from Ghazali for about four years and described him as someone who “seemed super happy.”

“He must have had some mental illness or crisis that was unsolved for a long time. A person doesn’t just snap like that,” Zreik said, speculating that the bombing that killed members of Ghazali’s family in Lebanon could have contributed to his actions.

“I disavow it 100% – not that I would ever agree with this – but I can see the mental gymnastics on how he got to that point,” he said.

Zreik also expressed concern about the broader consequences for the local community.

“It’s ridiculous, and it’s going to cause insurmountable blowback to this community,” he said.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attempted attack and Ghazali’s possible connections to overseas militant networks.

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