Ghazali died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound after allegedly driving a vehicle into the synagogue on March 12, according to authorities. The car, which carried jugs of gasoline and fireworks, caught fire during the attack.
One security guard was struck by the vehicle and taken to the hospital. Ghazali then allegedly traded gunfire with another guard. None of the children or staff in the building were injured in the attack, which occurred when the temple’s preschool was in session.
The investigation, which has involved sifting through hundreds of forensics files and over 100 interviews, revealed Ghazali had a “recurring search history of pro-Hezbollah news channels, Iranian news channels, and videos about shoot-outs and bullets,” Runyan said.
In the days leading up to the attack, Ghazali purchased an “AR-style rifle” at a local gun store along with 10 magazines and 300 rounds of ammunition, she said, and practiced shooting the weapon at a shooting range. Runyan detailed other purchases Ghazali allegedly made in that time, including 40 5.3-gallon water containers from an online store, many of which she said he later filled with gasoline in multiple trips to gas stations; $2,200 dollars worth of fireworks; and two torch lighters, which she said the FBI believes he used to light his truck on fire. He also searched for phrases including “the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan,” according to Runyan.
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