A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
The FBI is investigating two attacks that both happened Thursday.
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
In Michigan, an armed man drove a car into a synagogue. In Virginia, a man opened fire in a university classroom, killing one person and wounding two more. The FBI calls the Michigan attack a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community and calls the Virginia attack an act of terrorism.
MARTÍNEZ: We begin with Alex McLenon of member station WDET in Detroit with details on the person accused of the attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
ALEX MCLENON, BYLINE: So last night, the Department of Homeland Security identified the alleged attacker, who was killed during the incident. They say he was a 41-year-old naturalized citizen born in Lebanon. His name is Ayman Mohamad Ghazali. NPR has confirmed that two of Ghazali's brothers were killed by an Israeli strike in Lebanon earlier this month. Also killed were his brother's two children. His parents were wounded and are in the hospital. But authorities say their investigation will take time, and they have not yet shared a motive.
MARTÍNEZ: OK, so take us through what happened.
MCLENON: So the shooting occurred a little after noon yesterday. The Oakland County sheriff said a vehicle crashed into Temple Israel, striking a security guard and knocking him over. There was an exchange of gunfire, which left Ghazali dead. Jennifer Runyan is special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit field office.
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JENNIFER RUNYAN: And I can confirm that we are leading the investigation right now as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
MCLENON: After the vehicle crashed into Temple Israel, the synagogue filled with smoke. Thirty first responders were taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation. The security guard was also taken to the hospital.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah. I saw that Temple Israel runs an early childhood center during the day. Was that affected at all?
MCLENON: No. All 140 students, as well as their staff and teachers made it out of the building. Just six weeks ago, the FBI's Detroit office carried out an active shooter drill at Temple Israel. They say the lessons learned during that exercise came in handy yesterday. But this attack reminds locals of one carried out on a Mormon congregation in Grand Blanc, about an hour away from West Bloomfield, six months ago. That attack also began with a vehicle crashing into a house of worship.
MARTÍNEZ: And now we go to Steve Walsh in Norfolk, Virginia, with information on what happened at Old Dominion University.
STEVE WALSH, BYLINE: So from what we know, the shooter at 36-year-old, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh of Sterling, Virginia, came into an ROTC classroom before 11 a.m. After shots were fired, members of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps class wrestled him to the ground, and he was ultimately killed. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger says Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah, the chairman of the military science department, died in the shooting, another victim was in serious condition and that a third victim was also wounded.
MARTÍNEZ: What's known about the suspected gunman?
WALSH: Well, he was a former member of the Virginia Army National Guard. He was given an honorable discharge in 2015. Over the next couple of years, he seemed to have been radicalized. He traveled to Nigeria and met with members of ISIL, the Islamic state group. They introduced him to someone in the United States who turned out to be a government informant. Among other things, Jalloh told the informant that he contemplated doing something like the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, where 13 people died. At one point, he bought an assault rifle while being watched by federal agents. Back then, he was never actually talking to ISIL. He was arrested and pleaded guilty to attempting to provide materiel support to the Islamic state of Iraq. In 2017, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison and five years' supervised release. He was released in 2024.
The FBI hasn't released a motive in the case. Asked why the FBI was investigating this as terrorism at a press conference, the special agent in charge pointed to his previous conviction and that witnesses say he yelled Allahu Akbar, the Arabic phrase for God is greatest.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. Steve Walsh with WHRO, Alex McLenon with WDET. Thanks to you both.
WALSH: Thanks.
MCLENON: Any time. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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