← Back to all diffs
NPR

Reactions From The Hometown Of Michigan Synagogue Attacker

View original article →
+617 words added -973 words removed
− Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions The Best Music of 2025 Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
+ Special Series Middle East conflict Conflict in the Middle East has been escalating.
− Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Planet Money Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions The Best Music of 2025 About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics Reactions from the hometown of man who attacked the synagogue in Michigan The man who attacked a synagogue in Michigan lost family members in an Israeli strike in Lebanon. Relatives and neighbors in his hometown share their views on his actions. Middle East Reactions from the hometown of man who attacked the synagogue in Michigan March 14, 20264:57 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered Hadeel Al-Shalchi Reactions From The Hometown Of Michigan Synagogue Attacker Listen &middot; 3:25 3:25 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5747965/nx-s1-9688353" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript The man who attacked a synagogue in Michigan lost family members in an Israeli strike in Lebanon. Relatives and neighbors in his hometown share their views on his actions. Sponsor Message ADRIAN MA, HOST: The man who rammed his car into Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan, was born in southern Lebanon. After ramming his car, he started shooting. And the FBI says he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was confronted by security officers. The 41-year-old naturalized citizen lived in the U.S. for more than a decade but kept strong ties with family in Lebanon. Four members of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike as the war with Iran began. NPR's Hadeel Al-Shalchi traveled to his hometown in southern Lebanon and filed this report.
+ These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them.
− HADEEL AL-SHALCHI, BYLINE: As you arrive in Machghara (ph) in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, one of the first things you see is a poster of Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, plastered on a concrete wall.
+ Hadeel Al-Shalchi Mashghara, where Ayman Mohamad Ghazali was born and raised, is located in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, seen here in 2019.
− Usually, about 25,000 people live here.
+ Ghazali is the suspect in an attack a synagogue in Michigan last Thursday.
− Many support the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah.
+ JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images hide caption MASHGHARA, Lebanon — As you arrive in this town in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, one of the first things you notice is a poster of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, plastered across a concrete wall.
− (SOUNDBITE OF CHURCH BELLS RINGING) AL-SHALCHI: Church bells ring out, but there's hardly anyone in the streets.
+ Usually about 25,000 people live here, and many support the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Church bells ring out, but there is hardly anyone in the streets.
Stores are shuttered.
− Most have heeded evacuation orders as Israel continues its aerial assault in Lebanon's South.
+ Most people have heeded evacuation orders as Israel continues its aerial assault in southern Lebanon. Recorded hymns echo from the church down the empty streets.
− UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST: (Singing in non-English language).
+ This is the hometown of Ayman Mohamad Ghazali — the suspect who, on Thursday, attacked the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Mich., ramming his car into the building and opening fire.
− AL-SHALCHI: Recorded hymns also ring out from the church, echoing down the empty streets.
+ National The FBI says it's taking over the Michigan synagogue attack investigation The FBI says the 41-year-old naturalized U.S.
− The Michigan synagogue shooter Ayman Ghazali was born and raised here, along with his two brothers.
+ citizen died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after he was confronted by the synagogue's security officers. Ghazali had lived in the United States for more than a decade but kept strong ties with relatives back home.
− He had a niece and a nephew.
+ Four members of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike just as the war involving Iran began. Ghazali was born and raised in Lebanon, along with his two brothers.
− All were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
+ He also had a niece and a nephew.
− On March 5, as the sun set, they were all gathered at Ibrahim Ghazali's house, the attacker's younger brother, breaking fast for Ramadan.
+ All were killed in the airstrike. On March 5, as the sun set, they were gathered at the home of Ibrahim Ghazali — the attacker's younger brother — breaking fast for Ramadan.
− (SOUNDBITE OF CAR PASSING) AL-SHALCHI: A car passes by that house, which is now just a pile of rubble.
+ The house is now a pile of rubble.
The roof is caved in.
− I can see water leaking from a severed pipe and clothes strewn on top.
+ Water leaks from a severed pipe.
+ Clothes are strewn on top.
Children's toys are covered in dust.
+ Fouad Qasem, Ghazali's maternal uncle, lives down the street.
− Fouad Qasem, Ghazali's maternal uncle lives down the street. He says he helped pull the bodies of his nephews and the children out of the rubble that night.
+ He says he helped pull the bodies of his nephews and the children from the rubble that night.
− FOUAD QASEM: (Non-English language spoken).
+ "I held my own flesh and blood in my hands," Qasem says tearfully.
− AL-SHALCHI: "I held my own flesh and blood in my hands," he says tearfully.
+ Qasem, like many here, says he is heartbroken over the loss — and angry at Israel's relentless bombing.
− The Israeli military did not respond to NPR about why they hit the family's house.
+ "What did the children do to deserve this?" he asks. The Israeli military did not respond to NPR's questions about why the family's house was hit.
− Israel says it's targeting Hezbollah after the militant group launched rockets into Israel at the beginning of the war with Iran.
+ Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah after the militant group launched rockets into Israel at the beginning of the war involving Iran.
− Qasem, like so many here, says he's heartbroken for all the loss and also angry at Israel's relentless bombing. QASEM: (Non-English language spoken). AL-SHALCHI: "What did the children do to deserve this?" he says.
+ On Sunday, Israel's military said Ghazali's brother Ibrahim was a Hezbollah commander, "responsible for managing weapons operations within a specialized branch of the Badr Unit.
+ The unit is responsible for launching hundreds of rockets toward Israeli civilians throughout the war." Qasem remembers Ayman Mohamad Ghazali as a kind, well-mannered and gentle person and says his nephew avenged the children's deaths because they were so dear to him.
U.S.
− officials say they're investigating why Ayman Ghazali attacked the synagogue in Michigan.
+ officials say they are investigating why Ghazali attacked the synagogue in Michigan.
But many in this town say they believe it was revenge. Several said anyone would want to avenge the killing of their entire family.
− Ibrahim Zeih, a soccer coach of one of the killed brothers, says he understands the anger, but that's not an excuse to kill other innocent people so far away.
− IBRAHIM ZEIH: (Non-English language spoken).
+ Ibrahim Zeih, a soccer coach of one of the killed brothers, says he understands the anger but that it's not an excuse to kill other innocent people so far away.
− AL-SHALCHI: "We're not against Jews as Jews," he says.
+ "We're not against Jews as Jews," Zeih says.
− "We're against the Israelis who are killing us daily." Machghara's mayor is distressed by this neverending cycle of violence.
+ "We are against the Israelis who are killing us daily." Mashghara's mayor, Iskander Barakeh, says he worries about the cycle of violence.
− Iskander Barakeh says he's now worried about Lebanese Americans from here who live in the U.S. facing retaliation.
+ He also fears that Lebanese Americans from the town who live in the United States could face retaliation.
− ISKANDER BARAKEH: Because revenge will bring more revenge from the other side and will not finish.
+ "Everybody," Barakeh says, "deserves to live in peace." Jawad Rizkallah contributed to this report from Mashghara, Lebanon.
− AL-SHALCHI: Everybody, he says, deserves to live in peace. Hadeel Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Machghara in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor MessageBecome an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{1167:function(e,n,c){e.exports=c(323)},323:function(e,n,c){"use strict";c.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([c.e(1),c.e(2),c.e(3),c.e(4),c.e(84)]).then(function(e){c(3),c(1140),c(116),c(94),c(52),c(493),c(239),c(102),c(104),c(1141),c(143),c(1142),c(238),c(48),c(1143)}.bind(null,c)).catch(c.oe)}},[[1167,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();
+ Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor