Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called on people to "lower the temperature" and call out antisemitism followingThursday's attackon a Detroit-area synagogue that she said on Friday "could have looked a lot more like Sandy Hook" had it not been for security.
And while the governor and other leaders said law enforcement is trying to comb through more evidence about the incident, more information is coming to light about the man who was killed by security guards after he rammed his truck into the temple.
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said that 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who lived in his city, had "lost several members of his own family ... in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon."
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Baydoun joined other leaders in condemning the attack, which took place as children were inside the temple.
"This tragedy comes at a time when communities everywhere are confronting rising hate and senseless violence. No matter where violence occurs, whether in West Bloomfield or anywhere around in the world, harm against innocent people is something we must all stand firmly against," he said.
"The tensions we see across the world too often find their way into our own neighborhoods, reminding us how deeply connected our shared safety is," the mayor added.
The suspect was armed with a rifle, and the truck contained fireworks and an unidentified chemical agent that ignited soon after the crash, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
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Nobody inside the synagogue was hurt, and the synagogue noted that all 140 students as well as staff, teachers and security all returned home, Whitmer told reporters Friday morning.
The sheriff's office said one synagogue security guard was hit by the suspect's truck in the incident and was "knocked unconscious" but was expected to be okay.
Whitmer said she was angry at the situation and said the Jewish community has been on heightened alert because of the rise in antisemitic attacks, threats and rhetoric over the last couple of months.
"People like the person who attacked this community yesterday get fulminated by rhetoric that they see online and they see on television and hear on the radio. It radicalizes them," she said.
The governor reiterated that there were children under a year old inside the synagogue during the incident.
"My friend Brian said this could have looked a lot more like Sandy Hook. Let's not lose sight of that," Whitmer said.
"This is not a political debate, this is targeting babies who are Jewish. This is antisemitism at its absolute worst," she added.