The gunman who smashed a truck filled with explosives into a Michigan synagogue is related to two known Hezbollah terrorists, it has emerged.
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized US citizen born in Lebanon, was killed by security on Thursday after he attacked the Temple Israel synagogue in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield.
Ghazali, 41, targeted the synagogue just days after his two brothers, niece and nephew were killed in an Israeli airstrike in his hometown of Mashgharah, Lebanon.
The brothers, identified as Kassim and Ibrahim Ghazali, were known members of the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah, a Lebanese official told NBC News.
Ibrahim’s children, Ali and Fatima, were among those killed in the blast, a source told the Associated Press. His wife was seriously wounded and remains in hospital.
The official added that Kassim was a well-known soccer coach and personal trainer, while Ibrahim was a school bus driver in the village.
It is unclear which roles they played in Hezbollah and if they were the intended targets of the airstrike.
The FBI has been aware of Ayman Ghazali’s terrorist connections for at least seven years, the New York Post reported.
Authorities discovered contacts of known Hezbollah members in Ghazali’s phone in 2019 when he was questioned by police after returning home from a trip overseas, law enforcement sources told the newspaper.
Ghazali, who was known to travel to his native Lebanon, where the terror group is based, told officials he went abroad for a hair transplant. The FBI looked into the incident, though the outcome of its probe is unknown.
He lived in a $315,600 home in Dearborn Heights, which has the largest Arab American population in the United States. Federal agents were seen searching his residence on Thursday night.
The gunman was seemingly well-liked by locals, especially those who frequented Hamido, the popular Middle Eastern restaurant where he worked.
Regulars said Ghazali was the ‘face of the restaurant’ and always treated them with respect.
But he had been absent from work in the weeks leading up to the synagogue attack, a colleague told The New York Times.
Ghazali’s longtime neighbor Kandie Zaidieh, who described Ghazali as ‘my rock,’ was shocked to learn of his involvement in the attack and suspects the tragedy in Lebanon may have played a role in his decision-making.
‘Because his brother died, right?’ Zaidieh, 60, questioned when approached by the Detroit Free Press. She added: ‘He was the best. The best neighbor. Always quiet, a hard worker. He was always pleasant. Everybody liked him.’
Her remarks were echoed by several Hamido patrons, who said they could not fathom that Ghazali would try to harm anyone.
‘He was a very hospitable man and a loving father,’ Hamido patron Timothy Jacob shared in a Dearborn Heights community group.
‘He always greeted me with a smile and always treated my family with kindness. He will be missed.’
Mike Smith, who said he visited the restaurant the day before the synagogue attack, said it was ‘shocking’ to hear about Ghazali.
‘This guy was always a nice guy, one of the kindest people you can ever meet,’ Smith wrote, adding that Ghazali’s ‘customer service was great.’
Siran Mouhanna, admitting she did not know Ghazali well, said that during their encounters, ‘he was the kindest, most respectful guy.’ She added: ‘It breaks my heart.’
‘I don’t believe Ayman can do something like this,’ said Mike Dalou. ‘He is the most respectful man and very kind. I’m lost for words. I pray for him, his family and everyone involved.’
Ghazali was born in Lebanon in 1985 and entered the United States in May 2011 on an immediate relative visa as the spouse of an American citizen, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
He then applied for naturalization on October 20, 2015, and became a citizen on February 5, 2016, under the Obama administration.
Court records reviewed by the Daily Mail show Ghazali’s ex-wife filed for divorce in Wayne County Circuit Court in August 2024.
A divorce was granted seven months later in March 2025 and a child support order was signed and filed at the conclusion of the proceedings.
The reason behind their separation remains unclear, as the divorce filing is sealed.
An unnamed source told CBS News that Ghazali phoned his ex-wife shortly before the attack, asking her to take care of their children.
Ghazali drove a truck filled with explosives into Temple Israel, which also serves as a preschool, at around 12.20pm on Thursday.
The synagogue ‘became engulfed’ in flames after the vehicle collided with it.
The truck caught fire and the suspect’s body was found severely burned. Ghazali was shot dead by a guard at the synagogue.
No students or staff were injured in the attack, but a security guard was taken to the hospital after being struck by the vehicle. He is expected to recover.
Thirty law enforcement officers were also taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
Federal authorities said at a news conference that they are probing the horrific incident as a ‘targeted act of violence’ against the Jewish community.
The synagogue is a reform Jewish place of worship that was open at the time of the attack. It has 12,000 members, one of the largest congregations in the country.
FBI Detroit led an Active Shooter Attack Prevention and Preparedness (ASAPP) training for the clergy and staff of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield in late January, nearly two months before Thursday’s attack.
Synagogues around the world have been on edge and ramping up security since the US and Israel launched a war with Iran with missile strikes on February 28.
The FBI has warned that Iranian operatives may be planning drone attacks on targets in California.
Two men brought explosives to a far-right protest outside the New York mayoral mansion on Saturday. Investigators allege they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group.
An assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. He stabbed two people to death before officers shot and killed him.
