Attack on Michigan temple was Hezbollah-inspired, FBI says

The car ramming and shooting attack at a large Michigan synagogue this month was a “Hezbollah inspired act of terrorism” targeting the Jewish community, the FBI said Monday

The car ramming and shooting attack at a large Michigan synagogue this month was a “Hezbollah inspired act of terrorism” targeting the Jewish community, the FBI said Monday.

Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon, bought the AR-style rifle used in the attack on March 9, three days before he rammed his truck loaded with gas and fireworks into Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield and opened fire, Jennifer Runyan, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Detroit, said at a news conference.

Ghazali, 41, killed himself after he exchanged gunfire with security and was unable to get out of his truck, which was stuck inside the building, authorities have said. No one else was killed.

Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Mich., on March 12.Emily Elconin / Getty Images“Based on the evidence gathered to date, we assess this attack to be a Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism purposely targeting the Jewish community,” Runyan said.

Runyan said that 10 minutes before the attack, Ghazali sent a video to his sister, who is in Lebanon and who officials did not believe saw it until an hour after the attack.