Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, was shot dead in a burning vehicle on Thursday March 12, in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield

Ghazali, is the alleged terrorist who who smashed a truck filled with explosives into a Michigan synagogue and then opened fire before he was neutralized by a security guard

According to authorities, the father of two young girls is a naturalized US citizen born in Lebanon, residing in the Dearborn Heights

Ghazali rammed his truck into the synagogue a week after his two brothers, niece and nephew were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon

Authorities say the siblings killed were connected to Hezbollah and Ghazali himself had known connections to the Iran-backed terror group

Lebanese-born restaurant worker Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, [photo], from Dearborn Heights, MI, was killed in a Thursday incident when he drive a truck filled with explosives into a Michigan synagogue, then opened fire

The terrorist who smashed a truck filled with explosives into a Michigan synagogue and then opened fire has been pictured for the first time.
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, was killed by security on Thursday after he attacked the Temple Israel synagogue in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield.
Ghazali, a naturalized US citizen born in Lebanon, has been praised by neighbors in the Dearborn Heights community as being ‘one of the kindest people you can ever meet.’
But law enforcement sources have now revealed that he had known connections to Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah. Contacts of known Hezbollah members were found in his phone in 2019 when he was questioned by police after returning home from a trip overseas.
The brothers, law enforcement sources said were known members of Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
AP reported that Kassim Ghazali, a well-known soccer coach and personal trainer along with his brother Ibrahim Ghazali, a driver, were killed in the Israeli strike just after sunset on March 5, as they were breaking fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Ibrahim’s children, Ali and Fatima were also killed while his wife was also seriously wounded and remains hospitalized.

Terror attack suspect Ghazali, [photo], worked at Hamido, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, where he also lived

Ghazali, who was known to travel to his native Lebanon, where the terror group is based, told officials he went abroad to receive a hair transplant. The FBI is looked into the incident, although the outcome of their probe is unknown.
Ghazali who had two young daughters, lived in nearby Dearborn Heights, which has the largest Arab American population in the United States. The FBI raided his home on Thursday night.
According to local media reports, he was well liked in his locale, especially by patrons of Hamido, the popular Middle Eastern restaurant where he worked.
He rammed his truck into the synagogue days after his two brothers, niece and nephew were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, authorities confirmed. 

Ghazali who worked at Hamido, a popular Middle Eastern eatery in Dearborn Heights was well liked in his community and by patrons. Many believe he was propelled by grief when he drove his truck filled with explosives and mortar shells into the synagogue on Thursday

He had been absent from work in the weeks leading up to the synagogue attack, a colleague revealed. 
His longtime neighbor Kandie Zaidieh, thinks the tragedy in Lebanon may have played a role in his snapping.
Her remarks were echoed by several Hamido patrons, who described him as a ‘He was a very hospitable man and a loving father,’ who always would welcome patrons to Hamido patron ‘with a smile,’ and always treated them with ‘kindness.’ 

Feds late Thursday night raided the home of Ayman Mohamad Ghazali in Dearborn Heights, MI

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 the encounters they shared, ‘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.’

Lebanese born Ayman Mohamad Ghazali allegedly carried out the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, which also serves as a preschool, after losing four family members in an Israeli strike on Lebanon

The vehicle smashed into the doors of Temple Israel in Michigan, injuring one of the security guards. Confronted by the security guards there was exchange of gunfire before the vehicle caught fire. The driver who was neutralized by one of they guards, suffered was severe burns when the body was recovered 

Heavy presence of local law enforcement and first responders seen after Ghazali attacked The Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI on March 12

Lebanese born Ghazali emigrated to the United States in May 2011 on an immediate relative visa as the spouse of an American citizen, though he is now divorced

Born in Lebanon in 1985, Ghazali emigrated to 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.
Court records show that 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.  
According to a CBS News report, Ghazali phoned his ex-wife shortly before the attack, asking her to take care of their children.

Parents of the students at the preschool attached to the Synagogue, were escorted by police as they carried their children out of the building, after the attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, MI, on March 12

Law enforcement escort families away from the Temple Israel synagogue on Thursday, in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

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.
Ghazali was shot dead by a guard at the synagogue. The suspect’s body when recovered, had suffered severe burns.
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.  

FBI patrol the Synagogue grounds after Ayman Mohamad Ghazali attacked The Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI on Thursday afternoon

First responders and law enforcement were seen at the synagogue entrance after the security team brought the intrusion to a swift, the only fatality being the suspected attacker

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.