Gunman shot dead after crashing truck into US synagogue

An armed man has rammed his vehicle into a synagogue in Michigan in what federal investigators said was a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.

Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalised US citizen born in Lebanon, was fatally shot by security personnel after ramming his truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield township near Detroit, and driving through a hallway, authorities said.

The vehicle caught fire after crashing into the building.

Children from the synagogue’s nursery school were evacuated to a local Jewish community centre on Thursday afternoon, and the incident prompted precautionary lockdowns at nearby schools and Jewish community centres. Smoke was seen rising from the man’s truck, which caught fire outside the synagogue.

The synagogue states that it is the nation’s largest Reform congregation and that its mission is to “create an inclusive center for our sacred community, framed through the lens of Reform Judaism.”

“We are authentic and caring, fearless and dynamic, home to many different types of individuals and families searching for connection and meaning in their lives,” it says.

The temple says that its congregation makes up 1% of North American Reform Jews and “often” has more than 1,500 people at its “gorgeous outdoor summer services.” Its website displays an Israeli flag prominently.

The FBI said on Jan. 30 that it “led an active shooter attack prevention and preparedness training” at the synagogue.

“The FBI course combines lessons learned from years of research and employs scenario-based exercises to help participants practice the decision-making process of the run, hide, fight principles and take necessary actions for survival,” the FBI said at the time. “We appreciate them for having us.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the situation on Thursday “heartbreaking.”

“Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan,” she wrote as details were emerging about the attack. “I am hoping for everyone’s safety.”

Ghazali came to the US in 2011 on an immigrant visa as the spouse of an American citizen and was granted citizenship in 2016, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Ghazali had been traumatised when an Israeli airstrike on his family’s village in Lebanon about 10 days ago killed two of his brothers and two of their children, CBS News reported as law enforcement investigated Ghazali’s motive.

Jennifer Runyan, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit field office, called the incident in West Bloomfield deeply disturbing and tragic and said the FBI is leading the investigation.

The agency considers the crime a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community”, she said at a news conference on Thursday, local time.

None of the synagogue’s staff or the 140 children at its early childhood centre were injured, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said.

In the minutes after the attack, smoke billowed from the synagogue.

One security officer was hit by the vehicle and knocked unconscious but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, the sheriff said. And 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

West Bloomfield Police Chief Dale Young said Temple security officers “engaged the individual and neutralised the threat”.

The suspect was found dead inside his vehicle, Bouchard said.

Cassi Cohen, director of strategic development at Temple Israel, was standing at the hallway where the crash happened.

She said she heard a loud bang, grabbed a few staff members, ran into her office and locked the door.

“When I heard the crash, I knew it was bad,” Cohen said.

She said a classroom was near where the car rammed the synagogue and, in addition to the children, there were also more than 30 staff members in the synagogue.

“Thankfully, we have had many active shooter drills and our staff is prepared for these situations,” she said. “We do go into lockdown.”

The incident comes amid a spike in anti-Semitism in the US over the last two years.

“Anti-Semitism has no place in Michigan and cannot be tolerated,” Michigan’s attorney general Dana Nessel said in a statement.

US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the attack, calling it terrible.

“I ​want to ​send our love to the Michigan Jewish community and all of the ​people in the Detroit area following the attack on the Jewish synagogue earlier today,” he said.’

Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, stated that he spoke with Jewish leaders in Detroit after the attack to learn the details and “express our solidarity with the local Jewish community.”

“I am relieved to hear that there were no casualties as a result of the attack,” he said. “This is a grave and serious incident that follows a series of attacks on Jewish institutions around the world. Tonight, we send a message of strength and support from Israel to the Jewish community in Michigan.”

Children from the synagogue’s nursery school were evacuated to a local Jewish community centre on Thursday afternoon, and the incident prompted precautionary lockdowns at nearby schools and Jewish community centres. Smoke was seen rising from the man’s truck, which caught fire outside the synagogue.

The synagogue states that it is the nation’s largest Reform congregation and that its mission is to “create an inclusive center for our sacred community, framed through the lens of Reform Judaism.”

“We are authentic and caring, fearless and dynamic, home to many different types of individuals and families searching for connection and meaning in their lives,” it says.

The temple says that its congregation makes up 1% of North American Reform Jews and “often” has more than 1,500 people at its “gorgeous outdoor summer services.” Its website displays an Israeli flag prominently.

The FBI said on Jan. 30 that it “led an active shooter attack prevention and preparedness training” at the synagogue.

“The FBI course combines lessons learned from years of research and employs scenario-based exercises to help participants practice the decision-making process of the run, hide, fight principles and take necessary actions for survival,” the FBI said at the time. “We appreciate them for having us.”

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder said: “The attack today at Temple Israel in Michigan is not an isolated event.

In recent weeks, synagogues in Canada have come under fire. A bomb was detonated outside a synagogue in Liège, Belgium. Incendiary devices were thrown outside Gracie Mansion in New York by ISIS sympathisers.

These are not random events. They are acts of terror aimed squarely at Western and Judeo-Christian values. The rise of antisemitic acts targeting Jews is part of the same war on those values.

That no lives were lost in these attacks is nothing short of miraculous. But miracles and complacency will not keep our communities safe. Bondi Beach showed how deadly such attacks can be.

If leaders don’t act quickly, democracy and society as we know it are at risk of total collapse.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the situation on Thursday “heartbreaking.”

“Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan,” she wrote as details were emerging about the attack. “I am hoping for everyone’s safety.”

Ofir Akunis, the consul general of Israel in New York, stated that the attack “is a direct result of ongoing incitement against Israel in the United States.”

“As we warned: Words turn into actions. The wild incitement, the blood libels and the spread of baseless lies and falsehoods against Israel and Jews are causing a sharp rise in attacks and violence against Jewish communities and institutions,” the envoy said. “Decisive action is now required against both the inciters and those who are incited.”

In a post on social media, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he was shocked by the attack.

“We are in contact with the Jewish community and local authorities. Antisemitism must never be allowed to rear its ugly head.”

With APd. “The constant criticism targeting Israel and the Jewish community only serves to inflame and accelerate hate.”

Children from the synagogue’s nursery school were evacuated to a local Jewish community center on Thursday afternoon, and the incident prompted precautionary lockdowns at nearby schools and Jewish community centers. Smoke was seen rising from the man’s truck, which caught fire outside the synagogue.

The synagogue states that it is the nation’s largest Reform congregation and that its mission is to “create an inclusive center for our sacred community, framed through the lens of Reform Judaism.”

“We are authentic and caring, fearless and dynamic, home to many different types of individuals and families searching for connection and meaning in their lives,” it says.

The temple says that its congregation makes up 1% of North American Reform Jews and “often” has more than 1,500 people at its “gorgeous outdoor summer services.” Its website displays an Israeli flag prominently.

The FBI said on Jan. 30 that it “led an active shooter attack prevention and preparedness training” at the synagogue.

“The FBI course combines lessons learned from years of research and employs scenario-based exercises to help participants practice the decision-making process of the run, hide, fight principles and take necessary actions for survival,” the FBI said at the time. “We appreciate them for having us.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the situation on Thursday “heartbreaking.”

“Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace. Antisemitism and violence have no place in Michigan,” she wrote as details were emerging about the attack. “I am hoping for everyone’s safety.”

Reuters/AP/JWire