DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — The FBI said that the attack at Temple Israel earlier this month was a "Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism" that targeted the Jewish community.
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In a press conference on Monday afternoon, FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said that the suspect was motivated by Hezbollah ideology, and the investigation is still ongoing.
See our past coverage of the Temple Israel Attack here
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According to Runyan, a thorough investigation found that, dating back to January 2026, the suspect had a history of searching pro-Hezbollah news outlets, Iranian news channels and more.
See the full press conference in the video below
"First, this man knew that Hezbollah was a terrorist organization. Second, he provided material support to Hezbollah, and third, he did it under Hezbollah's direction and control," U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome Gorgon said.
During the press conference, Runyan described a timeline of the investigation and the suspect's past searches and messages.
On March 9, just three days before the attack on March 12, Runyan said the suspect tried to purchase weapons from two different individuals before purchasing an AR-style rifle with 10 magazines and around 300 rounds of .223 ammunition.
Agents say he then researched locations for local fireworks vendors and searched numerous Jewish web pages throughout Michigan.
Watch below: Temple Israel shares photographs of attack aftermath from inside building
On March 10, officials said the suspect searched terms like "largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan" and more, before he visited a shooting range in the afternoon and purchased $2,200 worth of fireworks.
Runyan said that on March 11, a day before the attack, he began adding photos to a Facebook album that he called "vengeance," which included images of Iran's former supreme leader and others. She said he also posted photos of his deceased brother and niece and nephew, who were killed in Lebanon in an Israeli airstrike.
The IDF has said that his brother was a member of Hezbollah. When asked if the attack was retribution for his brother's death, the FBI said that before the death of his family, the suspect was consuming pro-Hezbollah materials.
The FBI also said that on the morning of the attack, he posted more photos to Facebook of his deceased family members and comments that said "we will seek retribution for their sacred blood" and that Israel is pure evil.
Other evidence that Runyan said included messages he sent just before the attack to his sister in Lebanon. He sent her nearly a dozen videos, including a final video where he said,
"This is the largest gathering of Israelis in the state of Michigan. In the United States. I have booby-trapped the car. I forcibly enter and start shooting them. God-willing, I will kill as many of them as I possibly can," Runyan said the suspect said in the video.
According to Runyan, after communicating with his sister, she didn't see the videos until about an hour after the attack.
