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Article written by Avalon Stewart, March 12th 2026
Shooting at the Synagogue
Detroit Synagogue Attack
Earlier today in West Bloomfield Michigan, a vehicle crash and active shooting incident occurred. A gunman rammed his truck into a large township synagogue which he then drove through the doors and down a hallway of the building and stopped inside, where security confronted him. The impact of the crash caused the vehicle to become engulfed in flames, and the gunman then opened fire in the temple and exchanged fire with a security guard.
Rebecca Cook/Reuters
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said the body was found inside the truck and that while the man was deceased, it was unclear what the cause of death exactly was. The shooting happened before 1 p.m. at Temple Israel at 5725 Walnut Lake Road, west of Orchard Lake Road and east of Drake. The fire that had started in the truck had gotten to be such a size that a thick black smoke could be seen billowing from the building not long after. Temple Israel is a Reform synagogue serving a large congregation in Michigan.
Bouchard, stated that a security guard was injured when the vehicle struck one him and knocked him unconscious. The security guard was then taken to a local hospital for treatment, but other than the deceased gunman, there were no major injuries reported and everyone in the building was accounted for. Members of the synagogue, some of whom rushed to the scene to check on their children who attend Temple Israel's school, were told via text before 1:30 p.m.: "Lockdown is still in place, but the active shooter has been taken down. Lockdown will be in place until they know that the shooter was working alone. All kids and all staff accounted for and fine. Truck rammed into front door and opened fire".
(Photo: AP Photo/Corey Williams)
The FBI said Thursday evening it was taking over the investigation of the attack. Jennifer Runyan, the FBI special agent in charge of the Detroit office stated, “We are leading the investigation as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community”. She described the attack on Temple Israel as a "deeply disturbing and tragic incident". The incident in West Bloomfield comes amid a wave of violence targeting synagogues in North America. In Toronto alone, three synagogues have been hit by gunfire this month, according to authorities there.
The Department of Homeland Security has identified the gunman as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali. A DHS spokesperson said Ghazali was born in Lebanon, entered the US in 2011 as a spouse of a US citizen and was granted citizenship in 2016. DHS named the suspect shortly after Jennifer Runyan said in an evening press conference that it was too soon to identify him or specify a motive for the attack. Runyan told reporters the temple remained an active crime scene and the FBI would not be sharing further information about the driver “as our goal is to protect the integrity of this investigation”. The Michigan State Police said on social media that it's "increasing patrols at other places of worship in the area".
Avalon Stewart
Avalon Stewart
Avalon is from Mount Vernon, Washington. She is a Freshman at Whitman College and plans to major in Psychology and Politics. In high school she competed in Speech and Debate all four years and even was state champ in Congressional Debate. She is passionate about politics and the process of delivering news that people can trust.
Lead editor for The Lamplight
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