Manchester synagogue terror attack: Prime Minister visits scene after police name Jewish worshippers killed and details emerge on Islamist attacker – live updates

The morning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, began in quiet solemnity.

At Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Greater Manchester, hundreds of worshippers arrived on the crisp autumn morning.

Inside, prayers filled the sanctuary. Outside a security guard kept a watchful eye – now common practice since October 7 amid elevated risks to the Jewish community.

For a while, the day proceeded peacefully – worship, reflection, quiet conversation. Few could have anticipated the terror barrelling in their direction.

Then at around 9.30am, came the first sign of the horror that was about to come.

Watch our video below of how the deadly attack unfolded:

The family of Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie have released a statement condemning his actions.

In a Facebook post, the Al-Shamie family said ‘we fully distance ourselves’ from what relatives described as a ‘heinous act’.

Here is the statement in full:

The news from Manchester regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound shock to us.

The Al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians.

We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort.

We kindly request that all media outlets respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time and refrain from using this tragic event in any context that does not reflect the truth.

May God have mercy on the innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured

Greater Manchester Police have said one of the Manchester synagogue victims was shot by officers in what the force described as a a ‘tragic and unforeseen’ consequence in its response to the terror attack.

In a statement released by Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson, a pathologist has confirmed one victim suffered a ‘wound consistent with a gunshot injury’.

Full post-mortem examinations are scheduled for later today.

Police said it is understood the synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie was not armed with a gun at the time and the only shots were fired by police officers.

In a statement, Sir Stephen said:

Following the terrorist incident yesterday at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, Middleton Road, Crumpsall; further and urgent enquiries continue. Overnight, we have taken advice from the Home Office Pathologist ahead of full post mortem 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.

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.

Newly named Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally said the Church of England has a ‘responsibility’ to stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism after the attack in synagogue Manchester on Thursday.

Mindful of the horrific violence of yesterday’s attack on a synagogue in Manchester, we are witnessing hatred that rises up through fractures across our communities. I know that the God who is with us draws near to those who suffer.

We, then, as a church, have a responsibility to be a people who stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism in all its forms. Hatred and racism of any kind cannot be allowed to tear us apart.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria are visiting the scene of the synagogue attack in Manchester.

Sir Keir arrived at the synagogue in Heaton Park, Crumpsall, just after 10.20am as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers.

He arrived in massive police cortege with his wife Victoria.

He met police officers at the cordon and shook their hands and was taken to the scene of the attack.

He also spent to community leaders for ten minutes before leaving. Last night the Prime Minister attended a synagogue in north London.

A new picture has emerged of the Islamist terrorist who yesterday killed two men outside a synagogue in Manchester

Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, came to the UK from Syria as a young child and grew up just around the corner from the site of the attack.

He was shot dead minutes after he targeted Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester yesterday.

Al-Shamie is understood to have been granted British citizenship in 2006 when he was a teenager, aged around 16.

His innocent victims have been named as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66. They were both members of Manchester’s Jewish community.

It is believed Al-Shamie was a dad – with a photo shared by his own father last year showing him holding a baby in his arms. The Facebook post was captioned ‘great welcome grandson’.

He had not been referred to the Government’s anti-terror programme Prevent or was known to police or the security services, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed on Friday morning.

Good Morning Britain’s Kate Garraway and Adil Ray were left scrambling to console an emotional guest who broke down in tears discussing the horrifying Manchester attack on a synagogue.

Emotions were running high as the presenter were joined by a panel of guests to discuss the latest news stories, including the attack that happened on Thursday.

Armed police shot the knifeman outside Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue following a ‘marauding terror attack’ which took place on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur.

On Friday morning, Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, were named as victims of the attack, which also saw three others taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Kate, 58, and Adil, 51, were joined by Jewish MP Luciana Berger, alongside political editor Ava Evans and political commentator Salma Shah.

During the segment, Luciana, 44, opened up about the fear that is widespread throughout the Jewish community, who worried antisemitism would be ‘amplified’ in the wake of the events.

Israel President Isaac Herzog said the Manchester synagogue attack marked a ‘horrific day’ for the Jewish community in Britain, Britain at large, and the Jewish community throughout the world.

Speaking to LBC, Mr Herzog said:

It’s a shocking reminder of what we’ve been alerting on for quite some time, that this heatwave of antisemitism and anti-Jewish feelings all over the world at the end reaches bloodshed.

Mr Herzog said what happened at the synagogue in Crumpsall was a ‘true horror’ and said ‘very strong steps’ are required in pre-empting ‘this horrific wave of terror and antisemitism’.

Antisemitism has risen “extremely sharply” since October 7 2023, following a pattern Jews have experienced whenever there is conflict in the Middle East, according to Marc Levy, chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and Region.

Obviously we’ve never had to endure a conflict that lasted this long, but it is right that there has been a failing in several sections of society to adequately deal with the scourge of antisemitism, given that we have seen incidents in every aspect of our communal life whether that is in universities, schools, workplaces, even in the NHS, and our cultural venues.

Below are two charts that illustrate how antisemitism is rising in the UK:

Robert Jenrick, the Conservative shadow home secretary, called for people planning to protest the proscription of Palestine Action tomorrow to ‘do the decent thing’ and cancel their plans.

The shadow justice secretary also branded Thursday’s pro-Palestine demonstrations deeply disrespectful.

Speaking to GB News, he said:

Do not incite hatred, do not cause further distress to the British Jewish community on a night like that, even in Manchester, for goodness sake.

Mr Jenrick said there is a legitimate right to protest, but there were individuals in those protests ‘calling for a jihad’.

In some places, like here in Westminster, it led to violence and disruption and arrests and wasting the police’s time when they should have been focused on protesting people in our communities. Do the decent thing, cancel these protests.

The Metropolitan Police have written to Defend Our Juries, a group protesting against the proscription of Palestine Action, to delay or cancel a planned mass demonstration in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.

The force said it wanted to deploy every available officer to communities feeling afraid following the Manchester terror attack yesterday but that the protest was ‘drawing resources’ away from them.

Defend Our Juries has confirmed tomorrow’s protest will go ahead as planned.

Neighbours of the synagogue killer Jihad Al-Shamie said he had lived in their street since 2021 and one remembered a baby living at the property but no woman.

We used to see him out in the garden working out, doing weights, press ups.

He used to change his clothes. One day he would be wearing the full gown, to the floor and the next jeans and pyjama bottoms.

Another neighbour described how armed police arrived at the house around 3.15pm yesterday afternoon.

A man, who would only give his name as Mike, 35, said he was visiting his mother’s house and was at the window and looked up to see police arrived.

There was a whole load of armed police coming up the street, they were all in black, they were all in vans and a big marked police car blocked the street.

They went to the house and started screaming, ‘Armed police! Come out!’ They had a chain saw. They left after about an hour.

Two counter terrorist forensics have been seen walking into the home of the Manchester synagogue terrorist this morning.

Witnesses said they arrived at the scene on Langley Crescent, in Prestwich, at around 8:15 am in a grey four-by-four pickup vehicle.

The two men wearing casual clothing walked through the cordon and into the semi-detached house carrying a black case which read ‘forensics’, a rucksack, and a blue cylinder.

Loud thuds could be heard coming from inside – though it is unknown what caused them.

It comes as police identified the suspect as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent

At Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Greater Manchester, hundreds of worshippers arrived to mark the holiest day in the Jewish calendar; Yom Kippur.

For a while, the day proceeded peacefully – worship, reflection, quiet conversation. Few could have anticipated the terror barrelling in their direction.

Then at around 9.30am, came the first sign of the horror that was about to unfold.

The sound of screeching tyres tore down Middleton Road followed by a crash shattering the peace inside.

Those who were nearby initially dismissed the noise as a firework or a traffic incident.

But what was about to follow was seven minutes of unimaginable terror that would leave two people dead, four badly injured and the rest of the Jewish community reeling.

See our graphic below on how the seven minutes of terror unfolded:

Hear from witnesses inside Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue where Jewish worshippers came under attack during Yom Kippur.

Flowers and messages left at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, where Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz were killed in yesterday’s terror attack.

Three people have been arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack in connection with the killings carried out by Jihad Al-Shamie, who was shot dead by police seven minutes after officers were alerted.

Flags in the House of Commons have been lowered for the victims of the antisemitic attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, agreed for the flags to be lowered until 8pm tonight.

Neighbours have spoken out as police continue to guard the home of Jihad Al-Shamie, the man shot dead by officers are Jewish worshippers were attacked at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall.

This morning one police car and three police officers were stationed at the semi-detached house on Langley Crescent, in Prestwich.

Armed police descended on the street just two miles away from the synagogue yesterday afternoon.

A police pulled up and a vehicle with armed police with body armour and helmets. Two police officers shut the road on Langley Avenue. All the neighbours were out in their gardens. It is such a nice area, really quiet area and the neighbours were worried. It is not something you expect to see. It lasted 20 minutes, there were two plain-clothed police officers.

I have lived here for over two years and have never seen anything like this. It is not what you expect.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has spoken about yesterday’s terror attack in Manchester on the morning broadcast round.

The Home Secretary confirmed the attacker Jihad Al-Shamie was not known to security services and said it was too early to tell if a terror cell was involved.

She also condemned the killings of Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz as a ‘horrifying antisemitic attack’.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed extra officers will be deployed in North Manchester, Bury, and Salford within Jewish communities and around synagogues.

Further plans will be developed throughout today to cover into the evening and across the weekend.

City of Manchester district commander Chief Superintendent David Meeney said:

People in North Manchester, Bury, Salford, within Jewish communities, and around synagogues can expect to see uniformed officers on patrol in vehicles and on foot throughout today, in to this evening, and over the weekend.

They are there to reassure you and, whilst they may not be able to answer questions about the investigation, they will be happy to reassure you about the actions we are taking to ensure communities are safe and feel safe.

We are conscious of the significance of Fridays and Saturdays in the Jewish faith, and will be doing everything we can to help communities mark Shabbat with their families and friends as they wish.

The Home Secretary has said she is ‘surprised’ by the Greater Manchester synagogue attacker’s name.

Speaking on LBC, Shabana Mahmood was asked about the attacker’s name, Jihad Al-Shamie, which presenter Nick Ferrari translated as ‘struggle of the Syrian’.

I was very surprised to discover that name myself. Actually, as a Muslim, I’ve never heard someone being called Jihad, but it is the name that he was born with – that has always been his name.

Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis said this is a ‘very dark time’ ahead of visiting Manchester, as he referred to an ‘unrelenting wave of hatred against Jews’.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: ‘Right now, our hearts are shattered. What transpired yesterday was an awful blow to us, something which actually we were fearing might happen because of the build up to this action.

‘I’m going to be arriving in Manchester early this morning, together with my wife, in order to be with a grieving community, and this is a very dark time, not just for Jews of Britain but for all of our society because this wasn’t merely an attack against Jews, it was an attack against the values of our society.’

The chief rabbi added: ‘We have witnessed an unrelenting wave of hatred against Jews being expressed on our streets, on campuses, right across social media and some of the media.’

He said much of what is said on social media is ‘so hateful’.

‘And in addition to that, when there is the unjustified demonisation of Israel, that feeds directly into an anti-Jewish sentiment within the tone of Britain, and that then encourages extremism.

‘Our Government needs to be mindful of that,’ he added.

Antisemitism has been ‘rising’ in the UK, the Home Secretary has admitted.

Speaking on LBC, Shabana Mahmood was asked about comments made by Israel foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar that the UK Government is failing to curb ‘rampant antisemitic and anti-Israeli incitement in Britain’.

She said: ‘Myself and the Prime Minister both acknowledge that antisemitism in our country has been rising.

‘It is completely unacceptable, and we both condemn it utterly. We will not stand for it.

‘We have strong laws in our country against incitement to racial hatred.’

One of worshippers stabbed to death in a frenzied terror attack outside a synagogue yesterday has been pictured.

Melvin Cravitz, 66, was killed alongside Adrian Daulby, 53, and in the attack that took place outside Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue, in Middleton Road, Crumpsall, on Thursday morning. Both victims were from Crumpsall.

Four others were injured, with three still in hospital with serious injuries.

Last night, Greater Manchester Police named the suspect, who was shot dead by armed police in the attack, as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie. He is a British citizen of Syrian descent and police said they are ‘working to understand the motivation’, with the attack being treated as terror-related.

Police also arrested two men aged in their 30s and a woman in her 60s on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack.

The attack saw a car driven at members of the public, before it crashed and the attacker emerged and started stabbing those congregated outside. The attack took place on Yom Kippur – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Forty people have been arrested in pro-Palestine protests overnight, including on suspicion of assaulting police, the Home Secretary has said.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Shabana Mahmood said she was disappointed that protests went ahead in the wake of the terror attack on a synagogue in Greater Manchester.

We will not tolerate that behaviour. Those individuals will face the full force of the law.

The Home Secretary has said it is ‘too early’ to say if a terrorist cell was behind the synagogue attack in Manchester.

Asked if a wider network were involved in the anti-semitic terror attack in Crumpsall, Shabana Mahmood said:

It’s too early to say that yet. Arrests have been made and the police investigation is continuing at pace.

We will, of course, provide more information as that comes in from the police, but I think it’s important we don’t get ahead of what we know as the basic facts of what has happened.

The Home Secretary was ‘disappointed’ to see pro-Palestine marches go ahead yesterday.

Speaking on Sky News, Shaban Mahmood said: ‘I was very disappointed to see those protests go ahead last night.

‘I think that behaviour is fundamentally un-British. I think it’s dishonourable.

‘I would have wanted those individuals to just take a step back.

‘The issues that are driving those protests have been going on now for some time; they don’t look like they’re going to come to an end any day soon.

‘They could have stepped back and just given a community that has suffered deep loss just a day or two to process what has happened and to carry on with the grieving process.’

Pictured: A Pro-Palestinian march in Manchester yesterday

Here are the latest scenes this morning near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall and the surrounding area as police continue to investigate:

The Home Secretary has denied that recognising Palestine has emboldened those who are antisemitic.

Speaking on Times Radio, Shabana Mahmood said: ‘The only person responsible for this devastating attack on our Jewish community is the attacker himself.

‘The police have made three additional arrests, and it’s important that they are allowed to continue with their investigations and our process of justice is allowed to take its course. That is separate to what is happening in the Middle East.

‘The work of this Government since the day we were elected has been to put our shoulder to the wheel in the diplomatic efforts in difficult and delicate conversations that are designed to try and bring an end to that devastating war.

‘Far too many lives have been lost. We want to see a secure and safe state of Israel alongside a state of Palestine.’

Patrick Christys writes that he was ‘not surprised at what is happening’ in his home city of Manchester. Read his article for the Daily Mail here:

It has just been confirmed that the man who carried out the terror attack in Greater Manchester had not been referred to the Prevent programme.

Speaking on Sky News, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood confirmed that Jihad Al-Shamie had not previously been referred to the anti-terror programme.

Daily Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn has written about the context of the attack, saying it was an ‘atrocity waiting to happen’. Read his thoughts in full here:

The Home Secretary has urged pro-Palestine protesters not to carry out demonstrations in the wake of the terror attack.

Speaking on GB News, Shabana Mahmood said: ‘As far as I am concerned, I would have wanted to see people in this country step back from protesting for at least a few days, just to give the Jewish community here a chance to process what has happened and to begin the grieving process as well.

‘I am very disappointed that some of the organisers haven’t heeded the call to step back.

‘I would still call on people to show some love and some solidarity to the families of those who have been murdered and to our Jewish community.’

The Islamist terrorist who killed two men outside a synagogue came to the UK from Syria as a young child and grew up just around the corner from the site of the attack.

Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, who was shot dead minutes after he targeted Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester yesterday, is understood to have been granted British citizenship in 2006 when he was a teenager, aged around 16.

It is believed Al-Shamie was a dad – with a photo shared by his own father last year showing him holding a baby in his arms. Read more about him in the Mail’s article here:

The man who carried out the terror attack was not known to the police, the Home Secretary has confirmed.

Speaking on GB News, Shabana Mahmood said: ‘In terms of the attacker, this individual was not known to the security services.

‘He has obviously been shot dead at the scene, but the police investigations will now continue at pace.”

She thanked members of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall and the police, saying their actions helped save lives.

The two members of the Jewish community killed in the attack on a synagogue in Crumpsall have been named as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, Greater Manchester Police said.

The force said formal identification is yet to take place but their families have been informed and family liaison officers are in contact.

Post-mortem examinations will take place later today. Both victims are from Crumpsall.

Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, who is co-ordinating the casualty response, said: ‘My deepest sympathies are with Mr Daulby and Mr Cravitz’s loved ones at this extremely hard time.

‘Specially trained Family Liaison Officers are in contact with them. They will continue to update them on the investigation and support them throughout the coronial process

‘Whilst there are processes which must be followed, we commit to being mindful of cultural preferences and sensitivities and to ensuring that these men and their loved ones’ wishes are respected.’

Greater Manchester Police says there will be an increased police presence across the region today.

City of Manchester District Commander, Chief Superintendent David Meeney, said there will also be increased visits to local places of worship following the incident.

Mr Meeney said: ‘We have taken this action to ensure that our Jewish communities and wider communities within Greater Manchester feel safe and reassured following yesterday’s tragic incident in Crumpsall.

‘People in North Manchester, Bury, Salford, within Jewish communities, and around synagogues can expect to see uniformed officers on patrol in vehicles and on foot throughout today, in to this evening, and over the weekend.

‘They are there to reassure you and, whilst they may not be able to answer questions about the investigation, they will be happy to reassure you about the actions we are taking to ensure communities are safe and feel safe.

‘We are conscious of the significance of Fridays and Saturdays in the Jewish faith, and will be doing everything we can to help communities mark Shabbat with their families and friends as they wish.’

Let’s start with a look at the breaking news this morning that the two men who died in the terror attack have now been named. Read the Mail’s story in full here:

Good morning and welcome to the Daily Mail’s live coverage following the terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester yesterday.

Two men died after Jihad Al-Shamie drove into a group of people outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue before stabbing a man.

Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, have been named as the two victims, while three others remain in hospital with serious injuries.

Stay with the Mail’s liveblog throughout today for all the latest updates.