Lebanese family of Detroit Temple Israel shooter were killed in an Israeli airstrike

The attack occurred at Temple Israel, a synagogue in the Detroit suburb. It is widely described as the largest Reform synagogue in the United States.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A man suspected of attacking Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday was identified as Ayman Ghazali, a 41-year-old Lebanese immigrant whose family members were recently killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, according to statements from local officials and US authorities.

Ghazali, a restaurant worker from Lebanon, became a naturalized US citizen in 2016 after entering the country on an immigrant visa.

The US Department of Homeland Security identified him as the suspected attacker shortly after the incident.

The attack occurred at Temple Israel, a synagogue in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield that serves about 12,000 members and is widely described as the largest Reform synagogue in the United States. Authorities said the building also houses a childcare center.

According to investigators, Ghazali allegedly drove a truck into the synagogue’s front doors before opening fire on security guards. One guard was injured in the exchange.

Security personnel returned fire, killing Ghazali at the scene, authorities said.

The synagogue went into lockdown during the incident. Officials said no children or staff inside the building were seriously injured.

CBS News reported that preschool classes were in session at the time of the attack.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said in a statement that Ghazali had recently lost several relatives in Lebanon. Baydoun said the suspect’s sibling, niece and nephew were killed “in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon” earlier in the month.

The Israel Defense Forces has not commented on the situation.

Law enforcement officers remained at the Temple Israel complex following the incident as authorities continued to investigate the attack.

The synagogue is one of the largest Jewish congregations in the United States, and the incident prompted a significant law enforcement response at the site in West Bloomfield on March 12, 2026.

DetroitLebanon warsynagogue attack