Gunman dies after crashing car into US synagogue

A suspect, armed with a rifle, crashed a car into a Jewish synagogue in suburban Detroit, leading security forces to open fire and kill him.

The car crash occurred on 12/3 at Temple Israel, one of the largest Reform Jewish synagogues in the US, located in West Bloomfield, a Detroit suburb in Michigan. The vehicle crashed through the doors and into a hallway as security forces at the synagogue returned fire. The suspect died from gunshot wounds, and the car caught fire.

A security officer was stabbed unconscious but sustained non-life-threatening injuries. 30 law enforcement officers required treatment for smoke inhalation from the fire on the premises.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified the suspect as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalized citizen of Lebanese origin. Ghazali arrived in the US in 2011 on an immediate relative visa as the spouse of a US citizen and was granted citizenship in 2016.

Federal officials stated this was a deliberate violent attack targeting the Jewish community. The FBI is leading the investigation to determine the motive.

FBI forces at Temple Israel synagogue in Michigan, 12/3. Photo: AP

FBI forces at Temple Israel synagogue in Michigan, 12/3. Photo: AP

The synagogue management reported a classroom was located adjacent to the crash site. "We had previously drilled for active shooter situations. We immediately went into lockdown," said Cassi Cohen, Temple Israel's development director. No staff, teachers, or any of the 140 children at the synagogue's preschool were injured.

Dozens of parents rushed to the synagogue to pick up their children after authorities confirmed the building was safe. "There are no words. I am completely shocked," said Allison Jacobs, whose 18-month-old daughter attends Temple Israel's preschool.

Jacobs, whose family is Jewish, said she usually tries not to dwell on global events. "But this is just terrible. This morning I was still grieving an attack on a school in Iran."

Parents pick up children at Temple Israel Jewish synagogue in Michigan, 12/3. Photo: AP

Parents pick up children at Temple Israel Jewish synagogue in Michigan, 12/3. Photo: AP

Jewish synagogues in the US and globally have been on high alert and have heightened security since the US and Israel launched a military operation targeting Iran on 28/2. President Donald Trump stated he was fully briefed on the attack and called it a "terrible incident".

Oakland is Michigan's second-most populous county, with approximately 1,3 million residents. The majority of Jewish people in the Detroit area reside there.

This marks the second attack on a religious facility in Michigan in less than one year. In 9/2025, a former Marine shot and killed 4 people at a church north of Detroit before setting it on fire. The FBI later stated the suspect was motivated by "anti-religious" views.