What happened?
At 9.31am on Thursday, a member of the public rang the police saying they had witnessed “a car being driven towards members of the public, and one man had been stabbed” outside Heaton Park shul, a synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where people had gathered to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish faith.
By 9.37am, Greater Manchester police had declared a major incident and designated Operation Plato, the code given for “marauding terrorist attacks”.
At 9.38am, GMP firearms officers shot a man believed to be the attacker. Paramedics arrived at the scene at 9.41am and four people were reportedly treated for stab wounds and impact injuries from the suspect’s vehicle. A bomb disposal team arrived later.
At 11.15am, it was announced that two of the injured people had died, as had the suspect.
At 3pm, Laurence Taylor, the head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK, declared the attack a terrorist incident and said two arrests had been made in relation to it. Later, GMP’s chief constable, Stephen Watson, said the suspect had been wearing “a vest which had the appearance of an explosive device”. It was later confirmed to not be viable.
Where did it happen?
The attack took place outside the gates of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, an Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogue founded in 1967 on Middleton Road, Higher Crumpsall, in north Manchester.
Crumpsall, along with neighbouring Prestwich, has one of the largest Jewish communities in northern England. The synagogue will have been particularly busy due to it being Yom Kippur. Like many synagogues in Britain, it had security outside made up of trained and local volunteers.
What do we know about the victims?
Two people have been confirmed as deceased by police following the attack, 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz. Both men were members of the Jewish community and lived in the Crumpsall area.
Police also confirmed that one of the people stabbed was working as a security guard outside the synagogue, though which of the victims this is is still unclear, as is whether they were there in a professional or volunteer capacity.
Who is the suspect?
On Thursday evening, the suspect was named as Jihad al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent. The police said the device worn by the suspect was further assessed and was not deemed to be viable.
It is understood the attacker had entered the UK as a young child, and was granted British citizenship in 2006. ITV has reported that he lived in Prestwich, two miles from Crumpsall. The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said that al-Shamie was not known to counter-terrorism police prior to the attack.
As well as al-Shamie, police have confirmed that three people – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – had been arrested “on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism”.
What is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The name translates to “day of atonement” and it usually involves members of the Jewish faith fasting to “afflict their souls” and become closer to God.
As the holiest day, it is observed by most Jewish people, including those who do not actively or regularly practise the religion.
What has been the reaction to the attack?
Keir Starmer said he was appalled by the attack and that the fact it took place on Yom Kippur “makes it all the more horrific”. He has flown back to the UK from Denmark where he had been due to speak to European leaders.
The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, described the attack as “vile and disgusting” and condemned “the rise in antisemitism that we’re seeing in our country”.
The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said he would “stand with GM’s Jewish community at this time and will work through the day to support them”.
Graham Stringer, the MP for Blackley and Middleton South where the synagogue is located, told BBC Radio Manchester: “We have to make sure these evil people do not damage our community.”
He added: “By and large, community relations are excellent between all the different ethnic groups and religious groups” in the area.
