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Michigan synagogue car-ramming suspect bought $2,000 worth of fireworks before attack

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Michigan synagogue car-ramming suspect bought ,000 worth of fireworks before attack


Two days before federal authorities say Ayman Mohamad Ghazali carried out Thursday’s antisemitic terror attack at a synagogue outside Detroit, the driver in the car-ramming violence allegedly walked out of a fireworks store with more than $2,000 worth of explosives.

Speaking exclusively with NBC News, Phantom Fireworks said that a person who registered as Ayman Ghazali visited one of the company’s Detroit-area stores at 1:39 p.m. March 10 and spent about 45 minutes inside.

Days later, Ghazali allegedly rammed a pickup into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, setting off a fire at the synagogue where a preschool attended by more than 100 children was in session, officials said. None of the children or staff members were injured.

Ghazali, a Dearborn Heights resident, was killed by the synagogue’s security team following the attack.

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The FBI on Friday said that Ghazali was “forensically confirmed” as the assailant. Prior, officials said they believed he was the synagogue attacker, but were awaiting forensics as the driver’s body was badly burned.

Ghazali had no previous criminal history, no registered weapons, and he had never been the subject of a FBI investigation, Jennifer Runyan, the Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit field office, said in a news briefing Friday.

She did not speak on a motive for the attack, but the FBI has previously said it is investigating the incident as a “targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.”

Officials did not mention what caused the fire, but in the vehicle, investigators found multiple gas canisters and consumer mortar tubes that would be used to launch fireworks, according to two senior officials briefed on the investigation.

The fireworks purchase was one of several facts about Ghazali’s background leading up to the attack that came into focus Friday.

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Ghazali, a U.S. citizen originally from Lebanon, lost several family members in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon last week, according to local officials in Michigan. The strike killed two of his brothers, who were known to be members of Hezbollah, and his niece and nephew, an official told NBC News.

Investigators are looking into Ghazali’s possible ties to suspected members of Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to a source familiar with the matter. He had been questioned several times about these possible contacts upon his return to the U.S. from overseas, the source said.

In recent weeks, hundreds of people in Lebanon have been killed and more than 750,000 people displaced amid escalating Israeli attacks, which were launched after Hezbollah struck Israel in retaliation for the war on Iran.

In Michigan, Alan Zoldan, Phantom Fireworks’ executive vice president, said the store employee who rang up Ghazali’s order recalled that “he certainly had no appearance of nervousness.”

“He was going to be celebrating Eid, you know, the end of the Ramadan,” Zoldan said. Eid al-Fitr, a holiday celebrated by Muslims to mark the end of the fast, is next week.

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Phantom Fireworks said it requires all customers to register their identification before making a purchase. After the synagogue attack, the company found Ghazali’s name and address in its records, which it said federal investigators requested by subpoena.

Video Phantom Fireworks shared with NBC News shows the man who identified himself as Ghazali, 41, walking into the store and registering his identification at the front desk before he starts shopping. About 15 minutes later, he walks up to the register with a mostly full cart, fills out paperwork and begins checking out. Once all the items are scanned and on the counter, he turns the cart around and continues shopping for roughly 5 more minutes.

About 20 minutes later, footage shows the man pushing the cart out of the store to a waiting pickup. He loads the truck bed, hands the cart off to the store employee and drives off.

Ghazali bought roughly 30 different types of items from Phantom Fireworks, including a “finale rack” product that the manufacturer says should be lit with people at least 100 yards away.
Ghazali bought roughly 30 different types of items from Phantom Fireworks, including a “finale rack” product that the company says should be lit with people at least 100 yards away.Courtesy Phantom Fireworks

Ghazali bought roughly 20 types of items from Phantom Fireworks, including a “finale rack” product that the company says should be lit with people at least 100 yards away.

It’s not clear if fireworks purchased from this store were used in the synagogue attack.

The company also said that a $2,000 purchase is not inherently noteworthy.

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“For our, you know, biggest customers that are going big at home — which we have so many of — spending $2,000, $5,000, $10,000 happens repeatedly … $5,000 and $10,000 is actually pretty common,” said Phantom Fireworks vice president Jessi Dragoiu.

Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun condemned the attack Friday, saying: “We do know that the individual had recently suffered devastating and personal losses overseas due to an Israeli air strike on his family’s home in Lebanon, leaving two children dead. Grief is real, and it’s heartbreaking, but let me be clear, that is not an excuse.”

Dearborn Heights police chief Michael Guzowski said any relevant records and background information were shared with investigators. He said there’s no credible information indicating an ongoing threat to residents and the city has increased monitoring as a precaution.

In a news briefing on Friday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called the attack an act of antisemitism.

“It was hate, plain and simple,” Whitmer said at the briefing. “We will fight this ancient and rampant evil. We will stand together as we do it, and we will call it out. We must lower the rhetoric in this state and in this country, especially at this moment where we have seen such a rise in anti-Semitism and more attacks on the Jewish community.”

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The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office referred NBC News to the FBI. The FBI declined to comment on this story.



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Yaxel Lendeborg injury update: Michigan star hurt in Final Four

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Yaxel Lendeborg injury update: Michigan star hurt in Final Four


Indianapolis — If Michigan wants to play for a national championship, it might have to do so without its best player.

With 8:51 to play in the first half of a Final Four game against Arizona on Saturday night, Wolverines star Yaxel Lendeborg rolled his left ankle on a drive after he stepped on the foot of Arizona center Motiejus Krivas. After hitting two free throws, he subbed out of the game and headed down the tunnel with the help of a trainer.

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Lendeborg’s pain showed immediately. After he got up from falling, he walked down the court, wincing, squatting to collect himself. He tied his shoes tighter to boos from some Arizona fans before hitting his foul shots. Then he walked to the bench, down the stairs, past concerned teammates, before heading off to be evaluated.

Arizona went on a 9-0 run after Lendeborg left the game.

Lendeborg returned to the Michigan bench, walking gingerly, with about six minutes left in the first half, but did not immediately return to the game. He then returned to the locker room before the end of the half.

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Late in the first half, Tracy Wolfson on the TV broadcast reported that Lendeborg’s ankle would be iced with the Wolverines possibly getting their star back for the second half.

Lendeborg was the Big Ten Player of the Year and leads Michigan with 15.2 points per game, but he played just five minutes of the game against Arizona. In the span of 1:22, he picked up two defensive fouls and had to sub out, returning at 12:57 as the Wolverines led 19-10.

Lendeborg made a 3-pointer and hauled in a rebound before leaving the game with his injury.

cearegood@detroitnews.com

@ConnorEaregood

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Flooding reported across much of Mid-Michigan after heavy rainfall overnight, several roads impassable

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Flooding reported across much of Mid-Michigan after heavy rainfall overnight, several roads impassable


LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Flooding is impacting many people across Mid-Michigan after heavy rainfall late Friday and into Saturday morning. News 10 Chief Meteorologist Darrin Rockcole says some areas of Mid-Michigan saw 1-2+ inches of rain. The Lansing area saw more rain overnight than those near Jackson and to the south.

Mid-Michigan is not out of the woods yet when it comes to rain for the rest of Saturday either, as explained in your latest First Alert Forecast. If you see flooding in your area, submit photos and videos to News 10 by clicking here.

Many major roadways are experiencing flooding, leading to several highways being shut down as water was over the roadway. Numerous flood warnings, watches and advisories are in effect across Mid-Michigan.

Flooding in a neighborhood on the west side of Lansing Saturday morning(WILX)

Here are the many reports of flooding from city and county officials across Mid-Michigan. This has led to the closing of roads across the area.

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EATON COUNTY

SB I-69 just north of Potterville exit (66) was closed with water over the freeway.

Eaton County has canceled their outdoor siren test for Saturday due to the inclement weather.

Flooding along the Thornapple River
Flooding along the Thornapple River(Heather Schmidt)

Michigan State Police said on ‘X’ Saturday that numerous area roadways were flooded outside of the previously mentioned portion of I-69.

INGHAM COUNTY

I-496 was flooded between Waverly and Martin Luther King in Lansing, drivers were asked to avoid the area.

Potter Park Zoo: The zoo is closed Saturday as flooding is impacting Pennsylvania Ave in Lansing.

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Ingham County has canceled its outdoor siren test for Saturday due to the inclement weather.

CITY OF LANSING

Traffic alert from the city: Reports of many streets flooded throughout Lansing. Please use caution while driving and do not attempt to drive through standing water.

CITY OF EAST LANSING

City Alert: Reports of streets flooded throughout the area and basements with backed up water. Use caution when driving. Do not attempt to drive through standing water. Check sump pumps for proper operation and monitor basements for signs of water.

CLINTON COUNTY

County siren test scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to inclement weather. Next testing opportunity will be May 2, 2026 at noon.

Flooding in a neighborhood on the west side of Lansing Saturday morning
Flooding in a neighborhood on the west side of Lansing Saturday morning(WILX)
Backyard flooded in Mid-Michigan.
Backyard flooded in Mid-Michigan.(Leela Green)

Stream News 10 on your favorite devices! Here’s how to download the WILX app on Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV.

Be the first to see the Mid-Michigan headlines you care about – download the News 10 mobile app and subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather.

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From warehouse to Final Four, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg is living unlikely dream

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From warehouse to Final Four, Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg is living unlikely dream


INDIANAPOLIS — Yaxel Lendeborg accepted his fate. College wasn’t for him. 

“I was working at a warehouse,” Michigan’s star forward said on Friday. “I was getting used to that lifestyle, this is going to be [my life]. I didn’t have any other aspirations or goals in mind.” 

His mother, Yissel Raposo, wouldn’t accept it. She forced him to go to junior college. 

Six years later, the 6-foot-9 senior from Pennsauken, N.J., is getting ready to play in the Final Four.

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Soon, he will be an NBA draft pick, possibly even hearing his name called in the lottery. 

It has been a wild journey.

Three years at Arizona Western College, two years at UAB, and now this past season at Michigan. In high school, Lendeborg admittedly “slacked off all four years.”

Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines shoots the ball during the Practice Day of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 3, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images

“I had no confidence in myself when I went to JUCO,” he recalled. “I didn’t want to go anyway, so it was like I was just wasting time. The journey has really felt like a dream, every step of the way. I went through so much. Mentally, it was definitely draining. There were many times I wanted to give up, I wanted to quit.”

Raposo wouldn’t let him. At Arizona Western, Lendeborg developed into a junior college All-American. Initially, he committed to St. John’s under former coach Mike Anderson. But when Anderson was fired, he decommitted and landed at UAB. There, he was one of the top mid-major players in the country. After his second season there, in which he averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 blocks, Lendeborg entered the transfer portal while putting his name into the NBA Draft. 

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He would’ve likely been a late first-round pick, but he didn’t feel ready to make the jump. He also wanted the opportunity to play for the Wolverines. 


Yaxel Lendeborg #23 of the Michigan Wolverines interacts with fans during the Practice Day of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2026.
Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines interacts with fans during the Practice Day of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2026. Getty Images

Lendeborg felt a bond with Michigan coach Dusty May. May spent plenty of time building a relationship with Lendeborg, even though it was very much up in the air if he would get to coach him. 

“He was with me throughout the whole process,” Lendeborg said. “That meant a lot to me.”

He couldn’t have imagined a season like this. Lendeborg has led Michigan to a 35-3 record, was an Associated Press first-team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year. He added Midwest Region Most Outstanding Player last weekend. 

“Everything has been falling into place so far,” said Lendeborg, averaging 21 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and shooting 50 percent from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament. “We have two more wins and everything will be perfect.”

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