Suspect in Detroit-area synagogue attack identified as Lebanese-born U.S. citizen, DHS says
The suspect in the attack on Thursday at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, has been identified as a 41-year-old Lebanese-born U.S. citizen, the Department of Homeland Security told CBS News.
DHS says Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, from Dearborn Heights, came to the U.S. legally in 2011 after receiving sponsorship from his then-wife, a U.S. citizen, and became a citizen himself in 2016. DHS says he entered the U.S. on an IR1 immigrant visa and applied for naturalization on Oct. 20, 2015.
West Bloomfield Police Chief Dale Young says law enforcement responded to an "active shooter situation" at about 12:19 p.m. on March 12 and field officers arrived at the scene within five minutes. Young says the suspect rammed his vehicle into the building.
Authorities say the car caught on fire after it slammed into the building.
"Temple security officers engaged the individual and neutralized the threat," Young said. "Our officers, combined with area agencies, cleared the building multiple times and successfully evacuated all children and staff."
The FBI says it is investigating the incident as a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community."
"This is a deeply disturbing and tragic incident, and our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their family and the entire Jewish community," said Jennifer Runyan, FBI Detroit's special agent in charge.
Sources within the local Lebanese American community, including one person who's known Ghazali for more than a decade, told CBS News that Ghazali's family members, including his brothers and two of their children, were killed after an airstrike in Lebanon during the ongoing war with Iran. The sources say Ghazali called his ex-wife about an hour before the attack in West Bloomfield, and she immediately called authorities.
The sources described Ghazali as a kind, gentle person who had been part of the community for about 16-17 years. They insisted that he was not politically or ideologically motivated and someone who "couldn't hurt a bug."
In a statement on social media, Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun says, "Everyone deserves to worship in peace, and we must unequivocally condemn any attack on a house of worship or the people within it."
"This tragedy comes at a time when communities everywhere are confronting rising hate and senseless violence," Baydoun said. "No matter where violence occurs, whether in West Bloomfield or anywhere around in the world, harm against innocent people is something we must all stand firmly against. The tensions we see across the world too often find their way into our own neighborhoods, reminding us how deeply connected our shared safety is."
Baydoun says they are working with police to protect houses of worship in the city and have been in contact with the West Bloomfield supervisor to offer support.
Meanwhile, other police departments across Southeast Michigan say they are increasing patrols in their communities.
After the attack, Temple Israel confirmed that all 140 students and staff are safe.
One of the lead security personnel who was hit by the vehicle and "knocked unconscious" was taken to a local hospital for treatment, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. The guard was pulled from the area by his team.
Bouchard says 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.