Bomb threat and two fatally stabbed in what police say is a terror incident: terrified worshippers fled as a car was thrown driven into crowds before a stabbing at a Manchester synagogue, sparking gunfire as armed police took down the suspect.
A major incident has been declared after a man drove a...
Bomb threat and two fatally stabbed in what police say is a terror incident: terrified worshippers fled as a car was thrown driven into crowds before a stabbing at a Manchester synagogue, sparking gunfire as armed police took down the suspect.
A major incident has been declared after a man drove a car into worshippers before stabbing a security guard outside a Manchester synagogue this morning, leaving four people injured as armed police shot the suspect.
The suspect was seen wearing what appeared to be a real or imitation bomb strapped around his waist. An army bomb squad has been called to the scene.
Paramedics are treating the injured, a major investigation is underway, and it is understood the attacker has died, though medics have not confirmed this.
The seriousness of the attack has prompted statements from the Prime Minister, the Conservative leader and the Mayor of Greater Manchester. Sir Keir Starmer confirmed he is cutting short a trip to Copenhagen, calling the incident “appalling” and paying tribute to emergency services.
🔴 SYNAGOGUE ATTACKER PLEDGED ALLEGIANCE TO ISIS DURING ATTACK
Counter-terror police have revealed new details about the Manchester synagogue attacker, Jihad Al-Shamie, 35. During the October 2 attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation, Al-Shamie made a 999 call in which he claimed responsibility and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
Officers confirmed he was carrying two knives and wore a hoax explosive device. He deliberately drove into worshippers outside the synagogue before continuing the attack on foot. The assault resulted in two deaths and three serious injuries. Armed officers intervened, shooting Al-Shamie dead at the scene.
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Police investigations remain ongoing, with six people arrested in connection to the attack. Two have been released without charge, while the remaining four are still in custody. Officers are examining Al-Shamie’s communications, networks, and possible influence on others, stressing that the attack appears motivated by extreme Islamist ideology.
So far, this appears to be a one-way claim: Al-Shamie linked his attack to ISIS, but there is no evidence he had contact with the group, participated in its operations, or that ISIS was aware or involved in the planning or execution of the attack.
Jihad Al-Shamie, the Manchester synagogue attacker, had three wives. Evidence and witness statements indicate that his marriages were built on deception and seemingly motivated by personal sexual gratification and control rather than any ideological mission.
• Third Wife (White Muslim Convert): Married January 2022 via Muslim dating app Muzz, she reported being unaware of his other marriages. Al-Shamie made controlling, abusive, and degrading remarks, including rape threats. She described his behaviour as manipulative and self-serving. Their relationship ended in April 2025 after she miscarried his child.
His first wife is understood to be a white Muslim convert who worked for the NHS.
Al-Shamie practiced Islam and prayed regularly, Witness accounts describe obsessive, controlling, and manipulative behaviour towards women, including an 18-year-old ex-partner he groomed online, sent abusive messages to, and pressured with “extreme videos.”
🔴 DETAILS OF KILLER’S DARK PAST EMERGE
➡️ FROM CANNABIS-OBSESSED, VIDEO GAME TEEN TO 35-YEAR-OLD ONLINE PREDATOR
Friends of Jihad Al-Shamie describe a teenager in conflict with his parents and heavily dependent on cannabis, smoking around two grams of high-strength “skunk” a day. He became fixated on video gaming, reaching semi-professional level in Street Fighter and other titles, which replaced his academic focus and contributed to him dropping out of an English Media & Cultural Studies university course.
➡️ CONTINUED FAILURE AFTER DROPPING OUT OF UNIVERSITY
From a well-respected family who had fled Syria in the early 2000s, Al-Shamie struck a contrasting figure to his trauma surgeon father. He took small casual jobs — including as a self-employed tutor — and dabbled in crime, while living at home in Prestwich. He had three children but became estranged from his partner and was later declared bankrupt.
Police records show minor criminal convictions, and at the time of the attack he was on bail for an alleged rape.
➡️ OBSESSIVE TURN TOWARD RELIGION & RADICAL VIEWS
Those who knew him expressed surprise when, around 2018, Al-Shamie began showing growing interest in religion. Friends believe his obsessive personality may have contributed to a process of self-radicalisation. He began expressing increasingly extreme views online, including support for Hamas and criticism of Arab nations for failing to act against Israel.
➡️ ONLINE GROOMING, STALKING & COERCION OF YOUNG WOMEN
Al-Shamie used the Muslim matchmaking app Muzz, formerly Muzzmatch, where he was repeatedly banned for inappropriate messages. He used multiple fake profiles and was said to have pursued several women at once, giving false information about his age.
One 18-year-old student who briefly dated him said he pressured her to marry him, sent controlling voice notes, and demanded her Snapchat details. After she ended the relationship, he sent abusive messages and allegedly began following her near her home and workplace. This wasn’t reported to police out of fear that this could trigger an attack from Al-Shamie.
➡️ MANIPULATION & ENTITLEMENT
Al-Shamie repeatedly demonstrated a sense of entitlement over his former partner, believing he could control her behaviour and follow her social accounts despite her rejection. He sent repeated demands to reconnect via Snapchat.
➡️ MISOGYNY AND PURSUIT OF YOUNGER WOMEN
His former partner also reported that he shared videos of himself with other women, described as “quite young,” while continuing to pressure her. Combined with degrading messages and discussion of dark sexual fantasies involving rape, these actions show a persistent pattern of coercion, manipulation, and obsession that escalated over the course of their brief relations.
A MATCH OF TOXIC BEHAVIOUR & IDEOLOGY
With multiple sources now also suggesting that Jihad Al-Shamie was also a huge Andrew Tate fan, combined with the facts we have outlined above, everything now is ticking the box of the classic misogynistic incel profile and we are beginning to receive clear indications of what may have driven him to commit these shocking and tragic murders.
🔴 EYEWITNESS CLAIMS ATTACKER LINKED RAMPAGE TO GAZA CONFLICT
Witnesses at the Heaton Park Synagogue report that Jihad Al-Shamie shouted “this is what they get for killing our children” while attempting to enter the building with a knife. Congregants barricaded the doors to prevent him from reaching worshippers. The remark appeared to link the attack to the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza, and added to the fear and shock experienced by those present during Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day.
🔴 KILLER WAS ON BAIL FOR ALLEGED RAPE
It has emerged that Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, the man responsible for the Manchester synagogue attack, had been on police bail over an alleged sexual assault earlier this year. Authorities say he also held previous criminal convictions, though he was not being monitored by Counter-Terrorism officers at the time of the attack. This revelation raises questions over how a person facing serious allegations was free to carry out a deadly assault.
🔴 ATTACKER’S FATHER PRAISED HAMAS TERRORISTS
Surgeon Al-Shamie, the father of Jihad Al-Shamie, has previously posted on social media praising the Oct 7 Hamas attacks in Israel. In messages uncovered after the Manchester attack, he referred to the Hamas fighters as “men of God on earth” and celebrated their assault on Israeli targets. The posts were issued hours after he had released a family statement expressing shock over the synagogue attack, highlighting a stark contrast between his public condemnation and earlier online praise for extremist violence.
🔴 VICTIMS NAMED AS TRIBUTES ARE PAID & BRAVERY OF VICTIMS PRAISED
Greater Manchester Police have now confirmed the identities of the two men who tragically lost their lives in Thursday’s terror attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue. The victims have been named as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, both of whom were part of the group of worshippers attempting to block the attacker from entering the synagogue.
Tributes have poured in for both men. Adrian Daulby, a devoted dad-of-three, has been remembered by friends and community members as courageous and selfless, putting himself in harm’s way to help protect others. Melvin Cravitz, described by colleagues and family as a man with a “heart of gold,” spent much of his life helping those in his community, from working at Halpern’s Kosher Supermarket to supporting local foodbanks. Those who knew him have paid heartfelt tribute to his kindness, generosity, and dedication to others, expressing shock and sorrow at his loss on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
🔴 GMP CONFIRM WORSHIPPER KILLED BY POLICE BULLET
Greater Manchester Police has confirmed that one of the two victims of the Crumpsall terror attack was fatally shot by an officer’s firearm at the scene.
Chief Constable Stephen Watson said a Home Office pathologist had provisionally determined that 53-year-old Adrian Daulby died from a gunshot wound.
The suspect, Jihad Al-Shamie, was not carrying a gun. GMP confirmed the only shots fired came from its Authorised Firearms Officers, who were acting to stop the attacker forcing his way into the synagogue.
Mr Watson said:
“It follows therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic & unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end.”
A second victim, who remains in hospital, also suffered a gunshot wound but their injuries are not life-threatening. Both were said to have been close together behind the synagogue door as worshippers tried to block the attacker from getting inside.
🔴 SUSPECT DESCRIBED BY LOCALS
Al-Shamie, who entered the UK as a child and was granted citizenship in 2006, is understood to have lived in Prestwich, around two miles from the synagogue. Neighbours recalled a quiet, solitary life at his address. One told press: “He lived there 10 years, with no wife or kids that I could see. He never seemed to speak to anyone around here.”
Another added: “I’d see him walking around in what looked like pyjamas & slip-on sandals, carrying a shopping bag. He was quite bulked up and kept exercise weights in his garage.”
🔴 SUSPECT NAMED AS THREE MORE ARRESTED
Police have named the man shot dead after a fatal terror attack at a Manchester synagogue.
Counter Terror Policing said they believe the attacker to be Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent. He was shot by armed officers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue on Thursday morning, after driving a vehicle into pedestrians and launching a knife attack.
In the latest development, two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism. They remain in custody.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that scenes remain in place at addresses in Crumpsall and Prestwich, linked to the arrests.
🔴 DEVICE WORN BY SUSPECT WAS ‘NOT VIABLE’
In an evening update, Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the device worn by the suspect was “not viable”. The incident was initially declared under PLATO, the UK’s national counter-terror response plan for a marauding armed attack. That designation has now been stood down, although the incident remains a declared major incident, with significant policing resources still in place.
🔴 POLICE MAKE STATEMENT
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that the suspect in this morning’s Manchester synagogue attack was shot dead by armed officers within seven minutes of the initial 999 call. Chief Constable Stephen Watson said the attacker drove a car into crowds before assaulting people with a knife, wearing a vest with the appearance of an explosive device. Four people remain in hospital with serious injuries, while two victims, confirmed as members of the Jewish community, have died. Officers credited the bravery of security staff and worshippers inside the synagogue for preventing the suspect from gaining entry, helping to avert further casualties. "Thanks to the bravery of security staff and worshippers inside, as well as fast response from police, he was prevented from gaining acces."
🔴 LATEST ON SUSPECT
The investigation into the Manchester synagogue attack has now been formally declared a terrorist incident by Greater Manchester Police. Officers say they believe they know the identity of the attacker, though this cannot yet be confirmed publicly for safety reasons. Bomb disposal teams have removed a suspected homemade explosive from the suspect, with several loud bangs reported as investigators accessed the vehicle used in the attack. Chief Constable Stephen Watson confirmed that inquiries are progressing “at pace” both across Greater Manchester & beyond, with public safety remaining the top priority.
🔴 TERROR INCIDENT DECLARED - TWO FURTHER ARRESTS
Greater Manchester Police have formally declared the synagogue attack a terrorist incident. Officers say they believe they know the identity of the suspect, though for safety reasons this cannot yet be confirmed publicly. In addition, police have made two further arrests in connection with the attack on White House Avenue, near Middleton Road in Crumpsall. Witnesses reported seeing both individuals being led away in handcuffs, and they remain in custody as inquiries continue.
🔴 POLICE CONFIRM TWO FATALITIES
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that two members of the public have died following the attack outside the synagogue. In total, five people were injured, with three remaining in serious condition. Authorities continue to treat the scene as an active major incident while investigations into the circumstances of the fatalities continue.
🔴 WITNESSES DESCRIBE HORROR AS ATTACK UNFOLDS
Neighbours reported hearing a loud bang outside the synagogue at the start of the incident. Chava Lewin, who lives next door, told reporters she initially thought it was a firework. Her husband ran back inside warning of a “terrorist attack.” Witnesses described seeing a car crash into the synagogue gates before the attacker began stabbing those nearby, targeting a security guard and attempting to enter the building. Rabbi Daniel Walker, leading the service at the time, remained calm and led the congregation to safety, actions described by witnesses as heroic.
🔴 Police praise quick public response
Greater Manchester Police have highlighted the role of a member of the public whose rapid intervention helped prevent the suspect from entering the synagogue. Officers say this quick response allowed them to take immediate action. The police remain in direct contact with synagogues across Greater Manchester, providing reassurance and support as the investigation continues.
🔴 Suspect believed deceased, body handled by specialists
Authorities have confirmed the suspect is believed to be dead, though officers have not been able to confirm this directly due to suspicious items found on his person. Bomb disposal teams are managing the scene, preventing medics from approaching the body. No images, descriptions, or names of the suspect have yet been released, and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death remains ongoing.
🔴 Major incident response & arrests nearby
Armed police have established a cordon on White House Avenue, a residential cul-de-sac just over 500 yards from the synagogue, where they are standing guard. Witnesses report that two people have been arrested nearby, both led away in handcuffs as part of the ongoing operation. The area remains under heavy police presence as Operation Plato continues, with emergency services maintaining the cordon and investigating all leads.
🔴 National & local leadership respond
The Prime Minister cut short a trip to Copenhagen to respond to the attack, describing it as “appalling” and thanking emergency services. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the attack “vile and disgusting,” while Mayor Andy Burnham confirmed the immediate danger had been contained. King Charles and Queen Consort offered their support to those affected, while local MP Graham Stringer condemned the attack as “a dreadful attack designed to damage the Jewish community & inter-community relations,” praising Manchester’s resilience.
Kemi Badenoch described it as “vile and disgusting,” while Andy Burnham said the immediate danger had been contained by the swift response of armed officers and security staff at the synagogue.
FULL REPORT
The alarm was first raised at 9.31am when police were called to Middleton Road, Crumpsall, outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. A caller reported a car being driven directly at members of the public before the driver emerged with a knife. At 9.37am, Greater Manchester Police declared Operation Plato, the designation for a suspected marauding terrorist attack, and at 9.38am firearms officers opened fire. The suspect was hit and immediately attended to by paramedics, who arrived on scene by 9.41am.
Greater Manchester Police said in a statement: “One man has been shot, believed to be the offender. Paramedics are tending to members of the public, currently four members of the public with injuries caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds. Members of the public are asked to avoid the area while the police continue to deal with the incident.”
North West Ambulance Service confirmed resources had been dispatched, saying: “Following reports of an incident on Middleton Road in Crumpsall, the trust has dispatched resources to the scene. We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services. Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible.”
Mayor Burnham said one of those injured was a synagogue security guard. Speaking to media, he said: “It’s a serious incident I have to say. I would say to people to avoid the area because it’s a serious incident, but at the same time I can give some reassurance that the immediate danger appears to be over and GMP have dealt with it very quickly with amazing support from members of the public and security at the location.”
Prime Minister Starmer said: “The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific. My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders.”
At the scene, helicopters circled overhead as heavily armed officers secured the synagogue grounds and extended the cordon along Middleton Road. Fire service crews and paramedics joined officers inside the cordon while police directed traffic and pedestrians away. Witnesses reported continuous sirens as reinforcements arrived throughout the morning.
Counter-terrorism officers are now assisting GMP as part of the investigation. The suspect has not been formally identified, and his condition has not been confirmed, but officials indicated he is believed to be dead. Four people remain in hospital with injuries sustained in the attack.
The investigation remains at an early stage, with police treating the site as a major crime scene. Operation Plato remains active.
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