Ayman Ghazali, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, crashed his truck into the hallway of a Detroit-area synagogue on Thursday (12 March) while children attended preschool. Security personnel shot him dead during the confrontation, and authorities said no one else was seriously injured.
Ghazali was allegedly traumatised when an Israeli airstrike on his family's village in Lebanon about 10 days ago killed two of Ghazali's brothers and two of their children, CBS News reported as law enforcement investigate Ghazali's motive.
The FBI said it was leading the investigation of what special agent Jennifer Runyan called a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community."
The attack occurred amid a recent surge in antisemitic incidents in the U.S. and heightened security concerns at both Jewish and Muslim places of worship, as the broader Middle East conflict has stoked fears and unrest domestically and abroad.
Separately, the FBI opened a terrorism investigation into an earlier shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on Thursday (12 March), which resulted in one fatality and two U.S. Army personnel being injured.
Michigan State Police responded to an "active shooting" situation at Temple Israel, one of the largest synagogues in the U.S., around 12:30 p.m. local time (17:30 GMT).
Early reports from law enforcement did not clarify if the suspect was armed with a gun or if it had been used in the attack.
"We can’t confirm the cause of death at this time, but security did engage the suspect with gunfire," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters.
A law enforcement official confirmed that the perpetrator was shot dead, though it was unclear whether he took his own life or was killed by security.
Bouchard explained that the suspect, who has not been identified, crashed his truck through the synagogue's doors and drove down a hallway before a security officer fired at him. Another security officer was struck by the vehicle and briefly knocked unconscious.
"We have no other victims, other than one of the lead security officers who was hit by the car and taken to hospital for treatment. That individual is expected to recover," the sheriff stated.
All 140 students at Temple Israel’s early childhood centre are safe, according to the synagogue’s statement.
A fire of unknown origin broke out during the attack, filling much of the building with smoke. Aerial footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the roof, with large numbers of police and fire vehicles converging on the scene.
The sheriff stated that the FBI would likely take primary responsibility for investigating the incident.
Temple Israel has a congregation of more than 12,000 members, with its daycare centre caring for children as young as six weeks old, according to its website.
In response to the Temple Israel incident, the Jewish Federation of Detroit posted a message on its Facebook page stating that its affiliated agencies had been placed in "precautionary lockdown."
A car crashed into the entrance of the headquarters of a Jewish religious order in New York City. No injuries were reported.
Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
Two Israeli diplomats were shot and killed outside an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee in Washington, D.C.
The gunman, who was charged with terrorism and hate crimes, is believed to have been motivated by the Israel-Gaza conflict.
He told police on the scene, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza," according to the charging documents. Witnesses recounted hearing him chant, 'Free Palestine' after he was taken into custody.
Authorities in Florida launched a hate crime investigation after a man opened fire on two men he thought were Palestinians but turned out to be Israeli visitors.
The victims survived. One was shot in the shoulder and the other in the forearm.
Masked men attacked two Jewish students who were demonstrating in support of Israel at Chicago's DePaul University, resulting in minor injuries.
The suspect, who was facing hate crime charges, later pleaded guilty to battery and causing bodily harm.
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The suspect, who was apprehended 30 minutes after the attack, was charged with attempted murder, among other crimes.
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