Michigan Synagogue Terrorist Attack Was Directed By Hezbollah, DOJ Says

The man who targeted the largest Jewish Reform synagogue in Michigan earlier this month was directed by Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and had watched footage of an Iranian fatwa for “total jihad against the U.S. military” shortly before carrying out his attack, the Department of Justice said on Monday.

Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old Lebanese national, purposefully targeted the Jewish community when he drove his vehicle into Michigan’s largest synagogue and opened fire on March 12. The Department of Justice said at a press conference on Monday that Ghazali was directed by Hezbollah, which was confirmed by an investigation into his electronic devices and online activity.

“This man acted under Hezbollah’s direction and control,” said Jerome Gorgon, Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. “I’ve seen some odd attempts to explain away or even lessen this terrorist attack by claiming that he was an isolated lone wolf, but that is misleading. Terrorist propaganda is designed to activate the so-called lone wolf to act on behalf of the terrorist organization, and it makes no legal difference if the current leader of Hezbollah himself, Naim Qassem, called this man and told him to attack Temple Israel, or whether he simply heeded Hezbollah’s call to kill Jews, and in his words, ‘burn there world.'”

Ghazali was killed after exchanging gunfire with security guards at Temple Israel. If Ghazali had survived, Gorgon said he is confident a jury would convict the terrorist of providing material support to Hezbollah.

The FBI said that Ghazali drove his through the doors of Temple Israel “at a high rate of speed” and continued 200 feet down the hallway before he appeared to set off fireworks that were inside his vehicle. A photo shared by the FBI at the press conference show the attacker’s vehicle come to stop just a few feet from a baby stroller. Temple Israel houses a daycare and dozens of small children were present when Ghazali carried out his attack.

FBI

“This evidence shows that the attacker meant to cause a significant amount of harm to the members and the children of Temple Israel,” FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said.

One of the security guards was injured after he was struck by Ghazli’s vehicle, but no one else was harmed in the attack.

While the terrorist sat in his vehicle in the parking lot of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, before carrying out his attack, he sent numerous videos and posts to his sister in Lebanon that the FBI said reaffirmed his commitment to carry out a terrorist attack on behalf of Hezbollah. Some of the posts referenced martyrdom and his desire to carry out an attack on “the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan.” One of the posts Ghazali sent to his sister stated that “jihad is the gateway to heaven.”

Ghazali also mentioned his family members who were recently killed in an Israeli strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the Israel Defense Forces, Ghazali’s brother was a Hezbollah commander, and President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed earlier this month that the synagogue attacker had “familial ties to a Hezbollah leader.”

The FBI said on Monday that even before some of Ghazali’s family members were killed in Lebanon, he was consuming Hezbollah propaganda. The attacker had searched pro-Hezbollah content online since January of this year, including following breaking news and statements from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. Ghazali also recently watched an Iranian fatwa for “total jihad against the U.S. military,” according to Runyan.

On March 9, three days before he attacked Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Ghazali began viewing websites of synagogues in his area. Ghazali worked and lived in Dearborn, a majority-Muslim city in Michigan. Later on March 9, the terrorist attempted to purchase weapons from two different people, but they eventually turned him down. Ghazali then went to a gun store in Dearborn Heights, where he purchased an AR-style rifle, 10 magazines, and around 300 rounds of ammunition.

“Throughout the night of March 9, the assailant began visiting numerous different web pages of Jewish cultural, educational, and religious centers all throughout the Detroit-metro area,” Runyan said. “And even viewed multiple pages of upcoming events at Temple Israel.”

Over the next few days, Ghazali searched online for “the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan,” “orthodox synagogues,” “Israelis near me,” and “what time is the Trump rally in Michigan.” The FBI said that the terrorist tried to delete his online searches, but authorities “were able to recover them.”

Ghazali went to a gun range to practice firing with his new weapon two days before the shooting and purchased around $2,200 worth of fireworks from a local vendor.