Michigan synagogue terrorist who smashed car into temple then opened fire is pictured for first time after neighbors praised him

The terrorist who crashed his truck full of explosives into a synagogue in Michigan and opened fire was seen for the first time.

Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, 41, was killed by security after attacking the Temple Israel synagogue in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield on Thursday.

Ghazali, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, is praised by neighbors in the Dearborn Heights community as “one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet.”

But law enforcement sources have now revealed that he knew he had links to the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah. New York Post reported.

Sources said that while he was being questioned by police after returning home from a trip abroad in 2019, contact information of known Hezbollah members was found on his phone.

Ghazali, who is known to have gone to his hometown Lebanon, where the terrorist organization is located, told the authorities that he went abroad to have a hair transplant. The FBI investigated the incident, although the outcome of the investigation is unknown.

The gunman appears to be well-liked by locals in Dearborn Heights, especially those who frequent Hamido, the popular Middle Eastern restaurant where he works.

Hamido regulars said that Ghazali was the ‘face of the restaurant’ and that he always treated them with respect.

He carried out the synagogue attack just days after his two brothers, nephew and nieces were killed in an attack in Israel. Officials confirm an airstrike has been carried out in Lebanon.

Ghazali was working at Hamido, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He is seen smiling at customers while answering phones inside the restaurant

Security team at Temple Israel synagogue praised for quick response to incident

Parents and children outside Temple Israel synagogue, an early childhood center in West Bloomfield Township, after a gunman opened fire

Ghazali lived in a $315,600 home near Dearborn Heights, which has the largest Arab American population in the United States.

FBI agents were seen searching his home Thursday night.

A colleague told The New York Times that he had been away from work in the weeks before the synagogue attack.

Longtime neighbor Kandie Zaidieh, who described Ghazali as “my rock,” was shocked to learn of his involvement in the attack and suspects the tragedy in Lebanon may have played a part in his decision.

‘Because his brother is dead, right?’ Zaidieh, 60, was questioned when he was approached. Detroit Free Press. He added: ‘He was the best. Best neighbor. Always quiet, hardworking. He was always nice. Everyone loved it.”

His words were echoed by many Hamido bosses who said they could not understand that Ghazali would try to harm anyone.

‘He was a very welcoming man and a loving father,’ Hamido’s boss, Timothy Jacob, shared in a community group in Dearborn Heights.

‘He always greeted me with a smile and always treated my family with kindness. He will be missed.”

Federal authorities appeared late Thursday night to raid the $315,600 Dearborn Heights home where the Lebanese-born restaurant worker is believed to be living.

Ghazali is alleged to have carried out the attack on the Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, which also served as a kindergarten, after losing many family members in the Israeli attack on Lebanon. FBI agents raided his Dearborn Heights home on Thursday

Ghazali worked at Hamido, a popular Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn Heights, where patrons said he was the ‘face of the restaurant’

Mike Smith, who said he visited the restaurant the day before the synagogue attack, said it was ‘shocking’ to hear Ghazali’s story.

‘This man was always a good man, one of the kindest people you will ever meet,’ Smith wrote, adding that Ghazali’s ‘customer service was excellent.’

Siran Mouhanna, who admitted that she did not know Ghazali very well, said that he was ‘the kindest, most respectful man’ in their conversations. He added: ‘It breaks my heart.’

Mike Dalou said, ‘I don’t believe Ayman could do something like this.’ ‘He is a very respectful and very kind man. I’m lost for words. I pray for him, his family and everyone involved.’

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Ghazali was born in Lebanon in 1985 and entered the United States in May 2011 on a next-of-kin visa as the spouse of an American citizen.

He then applied for naturalization on October 20, 2015, and became a citizen under the Obama administration on February 5, 2016.

Court records reviewed by the Daily Mail show Ghazali’s ex-wife filed for divorce in Wayne County Circuit Court in August 2024.

The vehicle crashed into the gate of Temple Israel in Michigan and then caught fire.

The suspect was neutralized by the security guard who arrived at the scene. His body was severely burned

Law enforcement officers escort families from Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan, on Thursday

Parents carry their preschool-age children to safety as police remove them from the Temple Israel synagogue after Ghazali’s attack on Thursday

Seven months later, in March 2025, the divorce was granted and an alimony order was signed and submitted at the conclusion of the trial.

Since the divorce case has been sealed, the reason for their separation remains unclear.

An anonymous source he told CBS News He said Ghazali called his ex-wife shortly before the attack and asked her to take care of his children.

Around 12:20 a.m. on Thursday, Ghazali drove a truck filled with explosives to Temple Israel, which also serves as a kindergarten.

As a result of the vehicle collision, the synagogue was engulfed in flames.

The truck caught fire and the suspect’s body was found severely burned. Ghazali was shot and killed by a guard in the synagogue.

While no students or staff were injured in the attack, a security guard was hospitalized after being hit by a vehicle. He is expected to recover.

Additionally, 30 police officers affected by the smoke were hospitalized.

Federal authorities said at a press conference that they were investigating the horrific incident as a “targeted act of violence” against the Jewish community.

Nearby police units, SWAT team, bomb technicians and dogs were at the scene.

FBI members at the scene of the shooting in West Bloomfield, Michigan, on Thursday

Law enforcement responds to the attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan

The synagogue is a Reform Jewish house of worship that was open at the time of the attack. It has 12,000 members and is one of the largest congregations in the country.

FBI Detroit conducted Active Shooter Assault Prevention and Preparedness (ASAPP) training for clergy and staff at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield in late January, nearly two months before Thursday’s attack.

Synagogues around the world have been on edge and have increased security since the United States and Israel launched a war on Iran with missile strikes on February 28.

The FBI has warned that Iranian agents may be planning drone attacks on targets in California. Two men carried explosives to a far-right protest outside the New York City mayoral mansion on Saturday. Investigators claim they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group.

On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, an attacker drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England. He stabbed two people to death before officers shot and killed him.