Michigan synagogue attack was act of terrorism inspired by Hezbollah, officials say
Federal officials on Monday for the first time labeled the March 12 attack at Michigan's Temple Israel as an act of terrorism inspired by Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group.
Updated on: March 30, 2026 / 5:53 PM EDT / CBS News
Ayman Ghazali , a naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon, rammed an explosive-laden truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, near Detroit. According to investigators, Ghazali was also armed with a rifle and killed himself after exchanging gunfire with the synagogue's security guards.
"He committed the terrorism crime of providing material support to Hezbollah," U.S. Attorney for the District of Eastern Michigan Jerome Gorgon told CBS News, explaining that the attack itself was the support for Hezbollah under federal law.
Ghazali lived in nearby Dearborn Heights, Michigan, and worked at a local restaurant. He became a naturalized citizen in 2016. His two brothers stayed behind in Lebanon and were members of Hezbollah's rocket unit, which was first reported by CBS News , according to sources in southern Lebanon. The brothers and other family members were killed in a March 5 drone attack by the Israel Defense Forces targeting Hezbollah outposts, sources told CBS News.
Following the drone strike that killed his relatives, Ghazali had been recording videos of himself and sending them to family in Lebanon, talking about becoming a martyr.