Michigan Synagogue Attack: Suspect Had Alleged Hezbollah Links

The perpetrator of the synagogue attack in Michigan allegedly had links to Hezbollah, according to CNN. Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, of Lebanese origin, had traveled abroad in 2019, with his trip being monitored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Ghazali, 41, who stormed the Temple Israel synagogue in Michigan, had been mentioned in U.S. government databases for connections to Hezbollah, although he is not considered a member of the organization, according to law enforcement officials.

Ghazali, driving a vehicle filled with explosives, stormed the synagogue, causing the vehicle to catch fire. The FBI has characterized the attack as a "targeted act of violence against the Jewish community." He was killed by temple security officers. One security officer was injured, and at least 30 received first aid for smoke inhalation.

A week before the attack, two of Ghazali's siblings and two of their children were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon.

Ghazali became a U.S. citizen in 2016. He had come to the U.S. in 2011 on a visa as the spouse of an American citizen.