THE terrorist who carried out the Manchester synagogue attack was on police bail for an alleged rape, it has been reported.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died after Jihad Al-Shamie drove into a group of people outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue before stabbing a man.
Al-Shamie was shot dead by police seven minutes after officers were alerted to the attack in Crumpsall on Thursday morning, which took place on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day.
On Thursday evening, Sky News, the Guardian and PA reported Al-Shamie was on police bail for an alleged rape when he carried out the terror attack.
The Guardian said al-Shamie was being investigated over the alleged sexual attack which is understood to have taken place earlier this year.
The paper said it is believed al-Shamie has other criminal convictions, although he was not on the radar of counter-terrorism officers.
The National previously reported one of the individuals who died in the terror attack, believed to be Mr Daulby, suffered a gunshot wound as armed officers attempted to shoot the killer.
Greater Manchester Police said the only shots fired outside the synagogue were by armed police as Al-Shamie did not have a firearm.
Another victim is in hospital after suffering a gunshot wound, but their condition is not life-threatening.
The BBC reported Yoni Finlay was holding the doors of the synagogue closed to prevent the terrorist from coming in when he was injured during shooting by Greater Manchester Police Officers.
It is understood he has had surgery and is awake and speaking as of Thursday evening.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack in connection with the killings.
Earlier on Friday, First Minister John Swinney called for "unity" in Scotland in the wake of the attack.Swinney urged communities in Scotland to “stand firm against those that seek to divide us”.
“Now more than ever, division and all forms of hatred – especially evil antisemitism – must be rejected,” he added.
Jewish leaders in Scotland have also released a collective statement, where they called for "substantive action to confront and combat antisemitism in all its forms".
The statement was written by Timothy Lovat, Jewish Council of Scotland chair, Henry Lovat, Glasgow Jewish Representative Council president, and Meehew Shaps, Edinburgh Hewbrew Congregation chair.
They said: “We are devastated by the terrorist attack that took place this morning at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, on Yom Kippur.
"The victims, their families, and the entire Manchester Jewish community are in our thoughts and prayers during this time of profound grief and fear.
"This awful attack is a tragic reminder of the manner in which hatred and intolerance towards Jewish people – whether put explicitly as such or directed (nominally) at “Zionists” or other euphemisms – can translate into deadly acts of violence aimed at our community."
The statement urged political and community leaders across Scotland to "urgently stop fanning the flames of hatred" and to "work with and alongside, rather than vilifying and alienating, the Jewish community of Scotland".
The leaders thanked Police Scotland for their engagement with and support for Jewish communities, and urged members of the community attending synagogues to follow instructions from police and security.
