Greater Manchester Police said their gunfire likely killed one victim and injured another during the Yom Kippur attack response.
On Friday, Greater Manchester Police said armed officers likely shot one of the two worshippers killed outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation while targeting the attacker. The revelation came as the congregation reeled from the Yom Kippur synagogue attack.
Police Confirm Tragic Crossfire in Chaotic Response
Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson said a Home Office pathologist’s preliminary evaluation showed one person seemed to have a gunshot wound. One of the three hospitalized patients also sustained a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening.
Police said their officers fired the shots because they believed the attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was unarmed. Watson said, ‘Only GMP’s armed officers fired shots as they stopped the offender from entering the synagogue and harming our Jewish community.’
The chief constable described the incident as “a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end.”
Victims and Heroic Defense of Synagogue
Police identified the two men killed in the Manchester synagogue attack as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66. They have not said which man police gunfire may have struck.
Watson said the two victims were near the synagogue door, where worshippers bravely blocked the attacker from entering during Yom Kippur services.
The attack timeline shows armed officers arrived at the Crumpsall synagogue just three minutes after the first emergency call at 9:31 AM Thursday. Shots were fired by police at 9:38 AM, seven minutes after the initial response.
Attacker Profile and Community Response
The attacker, 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, is a British national of Syrian heritage. He wore a vest that looked like an explosive device, but police later concluded it was “not viable.” Police shouted warnings about a potential bomb as they shot the attacker, who was seen writhing on the ground inside the synagogue gates, according to footage taken at the site.
On Friday, the attacker’s family distanced themselves from his ‘heinous act.’ His father, Faraj Al-Shamie, called it a ‘profound shock’ and condemned the attack on innocent civilians.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the attack site and denounced the “vile” assault, demonstrating the strong political reactions to the attack. Following the incident, pro-Palestine protests persisted, which Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood denounced as “fundamentally un-British” and “dishonorable.”
Investigation Expands with Additional Arrests
The investigation into the Manchester synagogue attack has widened, with police arresting two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s on suspicion of planning a terror attack in connection with the killings.
Given the problematic past of Greater Manchester Police, the incident poses challenging questions regarding police response strategies. A public investigation in 2019 concluded that the force’s 2012 shooting death of unarmed felon Anthony Grainger was the result of faulty intelligence. Before its removal in 2022, the police were also subject to exceptional measures in 2020 for failing to report crimes.
FAQs
A terrorist attacked outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur, killing two and injuring several before police shot him.
Police said officers likely hit two worshippers at the synagogue entrance, killing one and injuring another while targeting the attacker.
The attacker was identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent whose family has condemned his actions.
The attacker wore a vest that appeared to be an explosive device, but police determined it was not viable.
Political leaders condemned the attack, heightening security fears in Manchester’s Jewish community amid rising antisemitism
Police admitted their role in the tragedy, raising safety questions while praising worshippers’ bravery in preventing more casualties.
Disclaimer: The news and information presented on our platform, Thriver Media, are curated from verified and authentic sources, including major news agencies and official channels.
Want more? Subscribe to Thriver Media and never miss a beat.
