The FBI has revealed the final days and hours of the terrorist who attacked a Jewish center and school in Michigan on March 12, making clear that he was motivated by Hezbollah.
At a press conference on Monday, Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan recounted the elaborate lengths taken by Ayman Mohamed Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen from Lebanon, to try to kill as many "Israelis" as possible, even as he targeted a building in America.
'This terrorist acted on behalf of Hezbollah.'
According to Runyan:
Between March 9 and March 11, Ghazali began feverishly searching online for Jewish centers in the metropolitan Detroit area, taking target practice at a local gun range, and purchasing firearms, ammunition, dozens of 5.3-gallon containers, gasoline, and more than $2,200 worth of fireworks.
His online search queries included: "largest gathering of israelis in Michigan," "orthodox synagogues," "israeli near me," "what time is the trump rally in Michigan," and "a center affiliated with the israeli embassy in Michigan."
He attempted to delete these queries, but investigators were able to recover them.
Beginning on March 11, Ghazali also made a flurry of social media posts that not only included photos of family members recently killed in the Middle East strikes, but also referred to jihad, martyrdom, and Hezbollah.
One post included images of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the late Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah accompanied by an Arabic message that read: "Burn their world, for we have a vendetta against them, and we will never forget."
RELATED: Who is the naturalized US citizen from Lebanon identified as the Michigan synagogue school attacker?
Screenshot of FBI image
On March 12, the day of the attack, he posted:
- "We will seek retribution for their sacred blood."
- "Israel is a cancerous/malignant growth."
- "Israel is pure evil."
- "And the oppressors will soon know what kind of end they will meet."
That morning, Ghazali contacted his ex-wife, who called Dearborn Heights police and requested a wellness check on him. He also reached out to his sister, who is believed to live in Lebanon.
Ghazali's social media posts and messages to his sister continued almost until the very moment when he drove his truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield at 12:19 p.m. He even recorded multiple videos on his journey to Temple Israel and shared dozens of memes, videos, photos, and messages online and with his sister, including:
- a meme that, according to a translation, read, "Jihad is a gateway to heaven; one that God opens to his chosen ones."
- an Arabic anthem entitled "This People Sends You a Call."
- a video of Ghazali holding a weapon and stating, "We rely on God."
- a photo with a verse from the Quran that reads, "The believers who are true to what they promised God; some have died for the cause, and some are still waiting but will never change."
In the final two videos he sent to his sister, he makes a full confession about his "special operation": "This is the largest gathering place for Israelis in the State of Michigan in the United States. I have booby-trapped the car. I will forcefully enter and start shooting at them. God willing, I will kill as many of them as I possibly can."
Screenshot of FBI image
About 10 minutes after sending those videos, Ghazali drove into the Jewish center and exchanged gunfire with security guards, and his car ignited, sending smoke billowing into the hallway.
Ghazali died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was the only fatality in the attack.
Agent Runyan reiterated that while Ghazali appeared to be deeply affected by the loss of his brothers, niece, and nephew in the Middle East, his obsession with Hezbollah and violence predated their deaths and the Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran. By January 2026, he had already established a "recurring search history" full of "pro-Hezbollah news channels, Iranian news channels, and videos about shoot-outs and bullets," Runyan said.
Runyan also noted that investigators have found "no evidence of co-conspirators" and do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the community. U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon of the Eastern District of Michigan did claim that had Ghazali survived, he would have been federally charged with providing material support to a terrorist organization.
Runyan and Gorgon repeatedly stressed throughout the press conference that Hezbollah inspired Ghazali to attack Temple Israel, stating, "We assess this attack to be a Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism purposely targeting the Jewish community," and "The evidence shows the attacker was motivated and inspired by Hezbollah’s militant ideology."
The investigation into the attack remains ongoing, the officials said.
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