Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun
By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS – Mayor Mo Baydoun and Police Chief Michael Guzowski issued statements following the identification of the violent March 12 West Bloomfield synagogue suspect as a resident of Dearborn Heights.
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud also released a statement to the press.
The man, 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen, died after ramming his truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.
It is believed that his actions were triggered by a recent Israeli air strike against a village in Lebanon that killed his two brothers and several other family members. CBS News reported that the two brothers were members of a Hezbollah rocket unit in southern Lebanon.
At 1:35 p.m. March 12, shots were heard near Temple Israel, where the attacker drove through the doors of the building and down a hallway, to which security personnel responded with gunfire, after which he was found dead in his vehicle. There were no other casualties.
Guzowski said the serious incident, which captured national attention, was a disturbing act of violence with broader global political implications that have understandably caused concern, fear and questions with the community.
He said when the residency of the suspect was learned he initiated communications with other law enforcement partners involved in the investigation, and the department has coordinated information-sharing, intelligence support and logistical assistance as requested, and that any relevant records, background information or investigative leads available were provided to the appropriate channels.
Guzowski said there is no credible information indicating any ongoing threats to residents within the city stemming from the incident, but precautionary steps, including increased situational monitoring and continued communications with law enforcement partners to ensure community safety have been taken.
“One individual’s actions do not define our city or the values of the people who live here,” he said. “Our residents are law-abiding, resilient and deeply committed to public safety and mutual respect.”
Dearborn Heights Police Chief Michael Guzowski
Baydoun said that while they are grateful that no worshippers, staff, or children were seriously harmed at Temple Israel, they acknowledge that fear to enter a sacred space is its own type of injury, and no one should have to live with that fear.
“I have personally reached out to the West Bloomfield Township supervisor to offer our solidarity and any support their community may need as they process this traumatic event,” he said.
Baydoun said that they know the man had recently suffered devastating personal loss overseas due to an Israeli airstrike on his family home in Lebanon, leaving two children dead.
“That grief is real, and it is heartbreaking,” he said. “But let me be clear: This is not an excuse, these actions do not reflect our values as a city and this is not who we are.
“There is never an excuse for violence, especially violence directed at a sacred space. Our Jewish brothers and sisters deserve to worship without fear.”
Baydoun said that in the past 24 hours, several residents, school principals, business owners and congregants from across our city have reached out to him directly to share incidents of threatening language, hostile encounters, or behavior that felt unsafe.
The mayor urged anyone who experiences this to report it immediately to the Police Department.
“Do not second guess yourself,” Baydoun said. “Your reports help us respond quickly, identify patterns, and prevent further harm.
“Community awareness is one of the strongest tools we have to keep each other safe.”
The mayor said that in response to the March 12 event, patrols around houses of worship, schools, and community gathering spaces have been increased, and the Police Department is in active coordination with regional and federal partners to ensure that every congregation, and every religion, has the support and protection it needs, especially as it enters the final days of Ramadan and Lent.
“We stand with the Jewish community, just as we stand with every resident of Dearborn Heights who is feeling the weight of these interconnected tragedies,” Baydoun said. “My heart is with all those who are grieving, all those who are frightened, and all those who are trying to make sense of what happened.
“Let us meet this moment with compassion, steadiness, and a renewed commitment to protecting one another.”
Hammoud said there is no place for violence in our communities or houses of worship.
“I am praying for the safety of the West Bloomfield Jewish community and all Jewish communities across our state,” he said. “We must do everything in our power to protect the freedom to worship in peace, safety and dignity.”
He said it is important for communities of faith to stand together in southeast Michigan to show that “hate and violence have no home among us.”
Hammoud said he will work closely with houses of worship and law enforcement partners to ensure people of every faith can gather safely and without fear.