The man who drove a vehicle straight into a synagogue outside of Detroit, Michigan, on Thursday has been identified. Police have now shared new disturbing details on what happened.
A terrible incident has shaken a community in the U.S. after a man drove a vehicle straight into a synagogue in Michigan. Authorities say the attack happened at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, where 140 students and staff were at the time. Thankfully, no children were hurt, but the situation quickly became very serious.
Police say the suspect drove the vehicle into the building, which caused a fire and forced emergency crews to rush to the scene. Security officers at the synagogue reacted quickly and stopped the attacker before anyone else was injured.
West Bloomfield Police Chief Dale Young told the press that law enforcement responded to an “active shooter situation” at about 12:19 p.m. Officers arrived at the scene within five minutes.
Michigan synagogue attack
Dale Young says the suspect, armed with a rifle, crashed into the synagogue. rammed his vehicle into the building. Security opened fire and killed the suspect.
“Temple security officers engaged the individual and neutralized the threat,” Young said. “Our officers, combined with area agencies, cleared the building multiple times and successfully evacuated all children and staff.”
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard praised the “heroic security personnel.”
“The security staff did an amazing job, an amazing job. They stopped the threat,” he said at a press briefing on Thursday evening. He described the crime as a “hateful, terrible thing,”
He added, “We know there’s evil in the world. When they show up, that’s where training and preparation come in.”
The FBI has taken over the investigation. Special agent Jennifer Runyan released a statement after the attack, asking the public to show patience as the FBI investigation is still active.
“This is a deeply disturbing and tragic incident, and our deepest sympathies are with the victims, their family, and the entire Jewish community,” Runyan said, per CBS, confirming that federal agencies are working together with local police.
Suspect identified as new details are released
“The FBI is here working with our state, local and federal partners to investigate this incident, and I can confirm that we are leading the investigation right now as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”
“This is an active and ongoing investigation with an active crime scene, and I ask for your patience as we process this evidence and pursue every lead,” she continued.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified the person suspected as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon.
“The tragic attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan was carried out by Ayman Mohamad Ghazali,” DHS told CNN in a statement Thursday night. Ghazali “entered the United States on May 10, 2011 at Detroit Metropolitan International Airport on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen after alien relative and fiancé petitions filed in December 2009 were approved in April 2010.”
“He applied for naturalization on October 20, 2015 and was granted U.S. citizenship on February 5, 2016 under the Obama administration,” the statement said.
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