Michigan synagogue car-ramming suspect bought $2,000 worth of fireworks before attack
Michigan Synagogue Car-Ramming Suspect Purchased $2,000 in Fireworks Before Attack
Explosives Purchase Linked to Attack
Two days before the antisemitic car-ramming attack at a Detroit-area synagogue, authorities allege the suspect acquired over $2,000 in fireworks. Phantom Fireworks confirmed that Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Michigan resident, visited one of their stores on March 10 at 1:39 p.m. and spent approximately 45 minutes there. The purchase occurred shortly before the attack on Thursday, which left a preschool in session without casualties.
FBI Confirms Identity of Attacker
The FBI officially identified Ghazali as the perpetrator of the incident after forensically verifying his remains. Officials had previously suspected his involvement but awaited confirmation due to severe burns on the driver’s body. Ghazali, who had no prior criminal record or weapons, was found dead following the attack. The agency is investigating the event as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community, though no direct link to a separate Virginia shooting has been established yet.
Attack Details and Aftermath
On the day of the assault, Ghazali drove a Ford F-150 to Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township. He parked for two hours before ramming his truck into the building’s southeast entrance at 12:15 p.m. A gunfight ensued with security personnel, during which the vehicle’s engine compartment ignited. Ghazali reportedly fired a self-inflicted shot to the head before the flames engulfed the truck. Investigators recovered commercial-grade fireworks and flammable liquids, including gasoline, from the scene.
Despite no injuries among temple attendees, 63 law enforcement officers were hospitalized due to smoke inhalation. Ghazali, a U.S. citizen of Lebanese origin, had lost family members in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. Local officials confirmed that the attack claimed the lives of two of his brothers and his niece and nephew, who were Hezbollah members. This information is now part of the FBI’s ongoing inquiry into his potential ties to the group.
Customer’s Observations and Background
Phantom Fireworks’ executive vice president, Alan Zoldan, noted that the store employee who processed Ghazali’s order described him as “calm” and “unbothered.” The customer was reportedly preparing for Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, which is set to occur next week. The company requires ID registration for all purchases, and federal investigators later accessed Ghazali’s records via subpoena.
Mayor Condemns Attack Amid Regional Tensions
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun criticized the attack, stating:
“We do know that the individual had recently suffered devastating and personal losses overseas due to an Israeli air strike on his family’s home in Lebanon, leaving two children dead. Grief is real, and it’s heartbreaking, but let me be clear, that is not an excuse.”
The conflict in Lebanon has intensified, with hundreds of casualties and over 750,000 displaced persons reported in recent weeks following Israeli strikes in retaliation for Hezbollah’s actions in Iran-related hostilities.
