Michigan synagogue attack; no serious injuries reported, suspect shot dead

A man born in Lebanon who later became a US citizen drove a truck into a synagogue and its preschool in the Detroit area on Thursday (March 12), prompting a confrontation with security personnel who fatally shot him, according to authorities. No one else was seriously hurt in the incident.

Police maintained a strong presence in the neighborhood after the crash, closing several nearby roads while investigating the scene.

Fernando Schon, a local resident, said he was grateful the situation did not lead to large-scale casualties and commended the synagogue’s security staff for their quick response.

Later that evening, the US Department of Homeland Security identified the driver as 41-year-old Ayman Ghazali. Officials said he was born in Lebanon and became a US citizen in 2016.

Law enforcement officials are still examining the motive behind the attack. CBS News reported that Ghazali had recently been deeply affected by an Israeli airstrike on his family’s village in Lebanon roughly 10 days earlier that killed two of his brothers and two of their children.