Michigan Synagogue Shooter Died of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound: FBI

Ayman Mohammad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalized citizen born in Lebanon, shot himself in the head, Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the Detroit FBI field office, said during a press conference.

Rachel Acenas

Published: 3/13/2026, 11:42:44 PM EDT

Michigan Synagogue Shooter Died of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound: FBI — Law enforcement respond to a call at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, Mich., on March 12, 2026. (Corey Williams/AP Photo)

The armed man who rammed his vehicle into a Detroit-area synagogue died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to authorities on Friday.

Officials also revealed a timeline of the incident, showing Ghazali sat in his gray Ford F-150 truck in the parking lot for more than two hours before ultimately driving it through the southeast corner of the building. He drove his truck into the synagogue at 12:15 p.m., hitting a security guard on the way in.

The truck became jammed in a hallway, and he was unable to get out. He was confronted by at least two security officers. Just after 12:20 p.m., a shootout erupted between the suspect and a security guard.

His truck's engine compartment caught fire around 12:31 p.m., and at that point, he shot himself.

Authorities previously said it was difficult to initially confirm how the suspected shooter died due to the vehicle blaze.

Runyan revealed during Friday's press conference that a large amount of commercial fireworks and gasoline were discovered in the back of his truck.

Ghazali came to the United States in 2011 on an immediate relative visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He was granted U.S. citizenship in 2016.

A week before the incident, Ghazali learned that four family members had been killed by an Israeli airstrike in his native country.

Temple Israel, located in West Bloomfield Township, describes itself as the nation’s largest Reform synagogue, with 12,000 members, according to its website. It has an early childhood education center and offers educational programs for families and adults.

None of the synagogue’s staff, teachers, or the 140 children at its early childhood center were injured.

Cassi Cohen, director of strategic development at Temple Israel, said the synagogue had a plan in place should an incident like this occur.

“Thankfully, we have had many active shooter drills, and our staff is prepared for these situations,” Cohen said.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), in a separate press conference earlier Friday, condemned the attack.

"Whether antisemitism is coming from the left or the right, you have a responsibility to call it out," Slotkin said. "It is an epidemic, and until we push back … we're going to see incidents continue to proliferate."

A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.