Arabic version: تحقيق مكتب التحقيقات الفيدرالي في العنف المستهدف في إطلاق النار في ميشيغان وفيرجينيا
A man rammed his vehicle into a synagogue in the Detroit metropolitan area in Michigan on Thursday, before engaging in shooting with law enforcement. He was later found dead in his car. On the same day, authorities also announced that one person was killed when a gunman opened fire at Old Dominion University in Virginia, in an attack being investigated as an “act of terror.” According to Al Jazeera, the United States has been on high alert for domestic attacks after it launched its war on Iran alongside Israel on February 28.
The incident at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, occurred around 05:33 GMT. FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that FBI personnel were responding to an apparent vehicle ramming and “active shooter situation” at the site. The assailant, identified as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old naturalised US citizen born in Lebanon, engaged in gunfire with security personnel before being found dead in his vehicle, which had caught fire. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the synagogue’s staff or the 140 children present at the early learning center.
In Virginia, the gunman was identified as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former member of the Army National Guard who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support for ISIL (ISIS). Jalloh opened fire shortly before 10:49 AM local time in Constant Hall, the center of the university’s college of business. He was subdued by students before being found dead at the scene. The FBI has not disclosed the motive behind Jalloh’s actions, but the incident is being treated as an act of terror.
These violent incidents coincide with a reported increase in hate crimes against both Jewish and Muslim communities in recent months, as highlighted by advocacy groups. The Anti-Defamation League noted a record high of anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. in 2024, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported a rise in complaints of anti-Muslim discrimination. The ongoing war in Gaza has been cited as a contributing factor to this surge in violence and hate crimes.
