Armed police officers appear to have killed one of the victims of the Manchester synagogue terrorist attack and injured another after opening fire on the suspect.
In a statement, the Greater Manchester police chief constable, Sir Stephen Watson, said the Home Office pathologist had provisionally determined that one of the two victims killed on Thursday died of a gunshot wound.
The suspect, Jihad al-Shamie, who had attacked worshippers with a knife, did not have a firearm and the only shots fired were by the police officers at the scene.
Three people are in hospital with serious injuries suffered during the attack, one of whom is thought to have also suffered a gunshot wound that police said was not life-threatening.
It is believed the deceased victim and the person injured by a police gunshot were among those behind the synagogue door seeking to prevent the attacker from gaining entry.
There were reports that a bullet scraped one man’s leg and entered the stomach of a second, who died, but the police are yet to provide details.
Watson said: “Overnight, we have taken advice from the Home Office pathologist ahead of full postmortem examinations scheduled for later today. The Home Office pathologist has advised that he has provisionally determined that one of the deceased victims would appear to have suffered a wound consistent with a gunshot injury.
“It is currently believed that the suspect, Jihad al-Shamie, was not in possession of a firearm and the only shots fired were from GMP’s authorised firearms officers as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community.
“It follows therefore that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end.”
The two victims killed in the attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall in north Manchester were named by police on Friday as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz.
They were killed after a car was used to ram into the grounds of the synagogue, before the attacker sought to stab worshippers in a six-minute rampage that ended only when armed officers shot at him twice, killing him at the door of the temple.
Shamie had been wearing what appeared to be an explosive vest but it was later confirmed not to be viable.
Three others were seriously injured in the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Watson said: “We have also been advised by medical professionals that one of the three victims currently receiving treatment in hospital has also suffered a gunshot wound, which is mercifully not life threatening. It is believed that both victims were close together behind the synagogue door, as worshippers acted bravely to prevent the attacker from gaining entry.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with all of the families, and the wider community, impacted by this incident across Greater Manchester and beyond. Specialist officers are providing support and care for all of those directly affected, including our brave first responders.”
Police named the attacker as Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent, on Thursday night. Greater Manchester police said three other 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”.
Shamie, whose surname means “the Syrian”, moved to Britain as a child and became a naturalised British citizen while still a minor, in 2006.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, said she was surprised by the attacker’s first name, and that she had never heard of someone being called Jihad.
“But it is the name that he was born with – that has always been his name,” she added. Jihad means “struggle” in Arabic.
Counter-terrorism police are expected to investigate whether Shamie previously made death threats to John Howell, who was the Conservative MP for Henley until last year.
He had received threatening emails in 2012 after he spoke about Israel’s right to defend itself when it came under fire. One of those who made threats was a “Jihad Alshamie”, who told him: “It is people like you who deserve to die.”
The prime minister, Keir Starmer, visited the silver command offices in Manchester where commanders from the three emergency services operated from on Thursday. Starmer said the work they had done was “exemplary”.
Speaking to about 40 first responders, Starmer, who was joined by his wife, said: “It’s a very humble thank you.”
Starmer, who went to the scene before visiting Greater Manchester police headquarters, said he had seen body-worn footage of the incident.
He said: “I am absolutely clear in my mind of the professionalism of the response, the speed of the response, and also that an absolutely awful incident would have been even worse if it hadn’t been for your response.”
