Michigan synagogue attacker Ayman Ghazali has been identified in a photo for the first time as officials disclose the cause of his death.
The Lebanese-born US citizen, Ghazali, was captured on camera wearing a black Adidas cap and a full beard. Law enforcement sources labeled the image as “the face of hate” in the aftermath of the incident targeting a preschool.
Allegedly, Ghazali drove his vehicle, loaded with mortar shells, into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, last Thursday. The FBI is treating the incident as an anti-Semitic act, the most recent in a series of attacks against the Jewish community.
Reports indicate that the 41-year-old crashed his car through the synagogue’s entrance, proceeding into a hallway where he confronted armed security guards. The guards responded by firing at Ghazali, halting his assault.
Ghazali met his demise as his vehicle caught fire, and he took his own life with a gunshot to the head. Fortunately, all 140 preschool children at the center on-site remained unharmed.
Jennifer Runyan, an FBI official in charge of the Detroit office, informed the press that during the altercation, Ghazali’s vehicle caught fire, and he ultimately inflicted a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to investigators, Ghazali, residing in Dearborn Heights, worked at a Mediterranean restaurant and lived in the suburbs of Detroit. A neighbor described the deceased attacker as well-liked and a dedicated worker.
The neighbor, Kandie Zaidieh, shared sentiments of Ghazali’s positive character, highlighting his absence from work in the period leading up to the synagogue attack. Concerns regarding Ghazali had been raised with federal authorities, particularly after encounters in Atlanta in 2019 post his return to the US.
Ghazali’s suspected ties to Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon arose during questioning when he claimed to have traveled abroad for a hair transplant. Authorities speculated his involvement with extremist groups instead.
The motive behind Ghazali’s attack on the synagogue is believed to stem from the loss of his two brothers, niece, and nephew in an Israeli-led airstrike in Masghara, Lebanon. The attack was part of a joint campaign by Israel and the US against Iran.
(Note: The article has been rewritten as requested.)