Michigan synagogue attack was act of terrorism inspired by Hezbollah, federal officials say

Federal officials on Monday for the first time labeled the March 12 attack at a Michigan synagogue as an act of terrorism inspired by Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997. 

Ayman Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon, rammed an explosive-laden truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, near Detroit. According to investigators, Ghazali was also armed with a rifle and killed himself after exchanging gunfire with the synagogue’s security guards.

“He committed the terrorism crime of providing material support to Hezbollah,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Eastern Michigan Jerome Gorgon told CBS News, explaining that the attack itself was the support for Hezbollah under federal law.

Ghazali lived in nearby Dearborn, Michigan, and worked at a local restaurant. He became a naturalized citizen in 2016. His two brothers stayed behind in Lebanon and were members of Hezbollah’s rocket unit, which was first reported by CBS News, according to sources in southern Lebanon. The brothers and other family members were killed in a March 5 drone attack by the Israel Defense Forces targeting Hezbollah outposts, sources told CBS News. 

Following the drone strike that killed his relatives, Ghazali had been recording videos of himself and sending them to family in Lebanon, talking about becoming a martyr.

In a video he made before the attack at Temple Israel, Ghazali said he wanted to “kill as many of them as I possibly can,” Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said during a news conference Monday. She said his online search history indicated he wanted to find “the largest gathering of Israelis in the state of Michigan.” 

Gorgon noted that Hezbollah drove a massive truck bomb into U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983, and said: “That is exactly what this terrorist did a few weeks ago in our backyard.”

The Jewish Federation of Detroit said in a statement following the news conference, “It is deeply troubling to learn that the attack on Temple Israel is now a confirmed act of terrorism that targeted our Jewish community, including our children.”

CBS News previously obtained a photo of Ghazali holding the same AR-style rifle he used in the synagogue attack. Arabic text was edited onto the photo, including a verse from the Quran and some language about “revenge.” 

Officials have been calling the attack a “targeted attack on the Jewish community.” Gorgon said the new designation as an act of terrorism is important to accurately describe the event and threat facing Jewish communities.

The Passover holiday begins April 1, and police around the county are already planning an increased physical presence of police at synagogues, Jewish community centers and other sites to act as a deterrent to potential targeted attacks and acts of terrorism.

Officials said Ghazali had waited in the parking lot and recorded videos of himself detailing his upcoming “operation,” specifically intended to “kill Jews and burn their world.” 

Ghazali’s phone was recovered at the scene of the attack, investigators told CBS News, who credited the synagogue’s sprinkler system for mitigating a larger fire. The building was significantly damaged by fire.

On the cellphone recovered at the scene, investigators found an extensive search and browsing history dating back to January that included what Gorgon described as “pro-Hezbollah news, shootout videos, live coverage of Naim Qassem, and news coverage of an Iranian fatwa for jihad against the U.S. military.”

Naim Qassem has been serving as Hezbollah’s secretary-general since 2024, the fourth person to hold the position. He participated in the founding of Hezbollah in 1982, and previously served as the first deputy secretary-general from 1991 to 2024.

Temple Israel is Michigan’s largest synagogue and one of the largest synagogues in the country. It is also home to an early childhood center where classes were in session at the time of the attack. None of the children, teachers or staff were injured during the attack. 

A security guard was hospitalized after being struck by Ghazali’s vehicle, and multiple first responders were treated for smoke inhalation at a local hospital.