Counter Terrorism Police have confirmed the suspect responsible for Thursday morning’s terror attack outside a Manchester synagogue as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent.
Although formal identification has yet to be completed, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said they believe Al-Shamie was the man fatally shot by armed officers during the attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall.
Authorities also confirmed that Al-Shamie had no previous Prevent referrals, meaning he had not previously come to the attention of authorities as being at risk of radicalisation
The Attack
Police were called at 9:31 a.m. after reports of a car being driven into pedestrians and a man being stabbed outside the synagogue, which was busy with worshippers observing Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
A major incident was declared within minutes, and officers enacted PLATO, the national protocol for responding to marauding terrorist attacks. Armed officers arrived on scene by 9:34 a.m. and fatally shot the suspect within seven minutes of the initial emergency call.
Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said:
“We can confirm that two members of our Jewish community have sadly died as a result of this attack. Following a rapid response, armed officers from Greater Manchester Police intercepted the offender and he was fatally shot by officers within seven minutes of the original call.”
Casualties and Arrests
Two worshippers were killed in the incident, and four others remain in a critical condition.
Police confirmed that two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation, and instigation of acts of terrorism in connection with the attack.
A suspicious device worn by the attacker was examined by bomb disposal officers and determined to be non-viable. A loud noise later heard at the scene was linked to police gaining entry to the suspect’s vehicle as a precaution.
National Response
Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of UK counter-terrorism policing, said:
“This morning, an appalling attack took place in Crumpsall in Manchester. Two people have died. The attacker has been shot dead by the police.
We believe we know their identity, but for safety reasons at the scene, we were unable to confirm at the time. Three other members of the public are in a serious condition. We have also made two further arrests, and based on what we know, counter terrorism policing has declared this as a terrorist incident.”
Taylor added that the attack on the Jewish community during Yom Kippur was “devastating” and that officers are working “at pace” to understand the full circumstances.
Ongoing Investigation
Police have increased patrols around synagogues and other key locations in Manchester and across the UK in response to the attack. The public is being urged to avoid the area and to report any concerns to officers.
GMP confirmed that in total, three people have died — two victims and the attacker.
