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Ayman Ghazali and FBI (FBI photo by Rebecca Cook)
The Dearborn Heights suspect in Thursday's attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township recently lost relatives in an Israeli military strike in Lebanon, multiple media outlets reported.
The suspect, Ayman Ghazali, 41, a restaurant worker, lost at least four relatives, including a sibling, days earlier, The Detroit News reports, citing unnamed sources. Ghazali worked at Hamido Restaurant in Dearborn Heights, which serves Middle Eastern food.
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun issued a statement on Facebook about Ghazali and the attack:
"Earlier this month, he lost several members of his own family, including his niece and nephew, in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon. Everyone deserves to worship in peace, and we must unequivocally condemn any attack on a house of worship or the people within it."
"This tragedy comes at a time when communities everywhere are confronting rising hate and senseless violence. No matter where violence occurs, whether in West Bloomfield or anywhere around in the world, harm against innocent people is something we must all stand firmly against."
Ghazali is suspected of driving his truck through the doors of the synagogue and into the hallway, where he was met with gunfire from security. He died in the vehicle, which caught fire. Explosives were found inside.
No staff or children who attend the daycare and preschool were injured. A security guard was hit by the truck and knocked unconscious but was expected to recover.
The News reports that Ghazali, a native of Lebanon, became a U.S. citizen on Feb. 5, 2016. He entered the U.S. through Detroit on May 10, 2011, on an immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. He was divorced last year.
The Jewish Federation of Detroit issued a statement:
"We remain steadfast in our commitment to vigilance and security, even as we continue to live proud, vibrant Jewish lives—at our temples and synagogues, in our schools, and throughout our Jewish organizations. Finally, we thank the community for the outpouring of support, compassion, and concern during this difficult moment."
In an opinion piece in the Detroit Free Press, Rabbi Asher Lopatin wrote:
"As a Jew, the violation reminded me of the rampant Jew-hatred around the world ‒ manifest in many forms including zionophobia ‒ and the vulnerability that we all feel. As successful and welcomed as we are in so many realms, we still need to pay tens of millions of dollars to pay brave security personnel to protect us from those who wish to murder us just for being Jews."
