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Scene around the synagogue
The vehicle that crashed into the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield shortly after noon on Thursday is registered to a Dearborn Heights man, a law enforcement source tells Deadline Detroit.
The source identified the Dearborn Heights man as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who lives on N. Gulley Road. Authorities described the vehicle as a truck.
Late Thursday night, the Detroit Free Press reported that the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Ghazali, 41, a Lebanese immigrant with U.S. citizenship, was the suspect in the attack.
On Thursday, the truck crashed through the doors of the synagogue and drove into the hallway while children and staff were inside. Authorities said security opened fire, and the driver was killed in the vehicle.
A security officer was hit by the car and knocked unconscious but was expected to recover. No other people were injured.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that explosives were found in the vehicle. The FBI said it is leading the investigation as a targeted attack on the Jewish community.
The incident comes as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran continues on, and Israel and Hezbolla, based in Lebanon, continue to battle.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard
CNN did not identify the person linked to the truck by name but reported that the man was originally from Lebanon. The network also reported that authorities are investigating reports that the man told people that he had family members who were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon in recent days.
The Detroit News later Thursday night ldentified Ghazali as a restaurant worker.
Thirty law enforcement officers were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation after the car became engulfed in flames, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a press conference. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating that aspect.
The FBI in Detroit and Sheriff Bouchard did not return calls for comment from Deadline Detroit on Thursday night.
