Two Suspected Targeted Attacks Strike U.S. Communities in One Day

Two communities are recovering after a pair of suspected targeted attacks unfolded within hours of each other Thursday, raising fresh concerns about domestic threats to Jewish institutions and military personnel.

In suburban Detroit, an armed man drove his car into Temple Israel, a synagogue where a preschool was in session. Security guards shot the driver, later identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, 41, a U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon. Ghazali was found dead inside the building after his car caught fire. No children or temple staff were hurt, though one security officer was injured and roughly 30 officers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said investigators are "leading the investigation right now as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community."

Hours later in Norfolk, Virginia, a gunman opened fire on an ROTC class at Old Dominion University in what investigators are treating as a potential act of terrorism. Investigators say 36-year-old Mohammed Bailor Jalloh specifically targeted the class, killing Army Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah and injuring two other Army personnel before a group of students subdued him. Jalloh also died. Court documents show Jalloh, a former Virginia National Guard member, pleaded guilty to a terrorism-related charge tied to attempting to provide material support to ISIS in 2016 and was released from prison under supervision in 2024.

Both investigations remain active and ongoing.