Michigan Synagogue Attack: Suspect Dead After Ramming Vehicle Into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield

A driver has been killed after ramming his vehicle into one of the largest Jewish synagogues in the United States on Thursday afternoon, in what the FBI is investigating as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. Dozens of children were evacuated from the building's preschool as the synagogue was engulfed in flames.

What Happened at the Michigan Synagogue?

A suspect drove his vehicle through the doors of Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday afternoon, ramming it down a hallway before the vehicle caught fire and the building became engulfed in flames.

Security guards at the synagogue opened fire as he approached and then confronted him inside. The suspect is dead. One security guard who had been struck by the vehicle was taken to hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard told reporters at a news conference that thirty police officers were also taken to hospital for smoke inhalation as the blaze took hold. Officers were working to clear the vehicle from the scene "out of an abundance of caution" in case explosives were present.

"We know there's evil in the world," Bouchard said. "When they show up, that's where training and preparation come in."

Who Was the Suspect?

The US Department of Homeland Security identified the suspect as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalised US citizen who was born in Lebanon and came to the United States in 2011.

Police have not confirmed the official cause of death. Sheriff Bouchard said it was difficult to determine how the suspect died because the vehicle had caught fire. "We can't say what killed him at this point," he said. "But security did engage the suspect with gunfire."

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The mayor of the nearby city of Dearborn, Mo Baydoun, said in a statement that family members of the suspect had been killed in recent fighting in the Middle East. "Earlier this month, he lost several members of his own family, including his niece and nephew, in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon," Baydoun said.

Children Evacuated From Synagogue Preschool

Temple Israel also houses a preschool, and the attack unfolded while children were inside the building. Dozens of young students had to be evacuated during the incident.

Temple Israel confirmed in a statement on Facebook that all 140 students, staff, teachers, and security personnel were accounted for and safe. The children were evacuated and taken to a nearby country club as a precaution.

Lisa Stern, a member of Temple Israel for more than 20 years, drove to the synagogue after hearing of the attack, concerned about friends inside including two rabbis and a social worker. She described the scene outside as deeply distressing.

"At first, when they didn't know, the parents were like falling to the ground," she said. "Thankfully it was minutes until they said the kids were safe."

Stern added that she believed the suspect had prior knowledge of the synagogue, which is not visible from the road. "They obviously knew where they were going because they knew where to do maximum damage."

FBI Investigating as Targeted Antisemitic Attack

The FBI said the incident was being investigated as a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community." FBI special agent Jennifer Runyan described it as "deeply disturbing and tragic."

Sheriff Bouchard called the crime a "hateful, terrible thing" but did not elaborate on a specific motive at the news conference.

"Everything that was supposed to happen, happened," Bouchard said at an earlier briefing. "Security did their job, and then the responders did theirs."

President Trump Responds

US President Donald Trump addressed the attack at a White House event on Thursday, saying he wanted to "send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the people in Detroit. It's a terrible thing," he said.

About Temple Israel

Temple Israel is one of the largest reform Jewish synagogues in the United States. Founded in 1941, it has approximately 3,500 member families — around 12,000 congregants in total. West Bloomfield is one of several suburbs surrounding Detroit that are home to a large Jewish population. Around 71,000 Jewish people reside in the wider area, comprising the vast majority of Michigan's entire Jewish population.

A Community Already on High Alert

Stern said the synagogue had always maintained security guards, and had significantly ramped up its measures since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, a period that saw a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents across the United States.

Over the last two weeks, law enforcement had already been in regular contact with the synagogue and other houses of worship in the area, Sheriff Bouchard confirmed. Following Thursday's attack, Jewish congregations and organisations across Michigan took extra security measures, the Michigan State Police patrolled other Jewish sites, and major cities across the country increased police presence at Jewish centres.

There are also broader concerns of renewed attacks targeting Jewish communities amid the current US-Israeli military operation against Iran.

"This was a matter of when, not if," Stern said, speaking from across the street from the burning synagogue on Thursday afternoon.