THE devastating terror attack at a Manchester synagogue yesterday unfolded in just seven minutes, with the rampage leaving two dead and four injured.
Early yesterday morning, on Yom Kippur, prayers began at Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
PAArmed police officers at the scene of an incident[/caption]
PATwo people were killed and three remain in serious condition in hospital[/caption]
But the peace was shattered at 9.30am, when the sound of screeching tyres came down the road.
The holy day quickly became one of horror that saw two people – Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, – tragically killed.
Attacker scouted area before crashing into the gates
Ten minutes before the attack, former Tory minister Grant Shapps‘ father-in-law came “face-to-face” with the terrorist.
The man had scouted the location and argued with security when they would not allow him into the grounds.
“He was claiming that it’s a free country and he should be able to walk in the grounds,” Shapps told the Times.
“Then he came back ten minutes later in the car.”
The carnage began at 9.30am when the black Kia hatchback crashed into the gates of the synagogue after “driving erratically” down the road.
He was stabbing ‘anyone near him’
Witnesses said that the “second” the driver leaped out of the vehicle, he began “stabbing anyone near him”.
“He went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue,” an eyewitness said.
The attacker – believed to be 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie – reportedly tried to “stab the window to get in” after those inside barricaded the doors.
An eyewitness said prayers had started when the horror unfolded but Rabbi Daniel Walker, who was leading the service, remained calm and led the congregation to safety with the help of others.
facebookA suspected knifeman who was shot dead by cops after unleashing a ‘terror’ rampage which left two dead[/caption]
ReutersThe knife used in the tragic attack[/caption]
Police called as public barricaded doors
At 9.31am, police scrambled to Crumpsall, north of Manchester.
A member of the public called the police saying he had seen a car being driven towards a crowd and one man had been stabbed.
The man had tried to kick down the doors, and then tried to use his knife to get in.
When that failed, he resorted to the plant pots that were outside to try smash in the windows.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed the man believed to be the offender was wearing a vest which had the “appearance of an explosive device” as the horror unfolded.
Shocking aftermath pictures revealed what is believed to be a bomb belt and a knife near the attacker.
However, cops have since revealed that the device the suspect was wearing was “not viable”.
GettyArmed Police and emergency responders gather at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue[/caption]
AFPAt 9.34am, three minutes after police arrived, armed cops were deployed at the scene[/caption]
Armed cops swarmed the scene
At 9.34am, three minutes after police arrived, armed cops were deployed at the scene as more details of the horrifying rampage emerged.
GMP declared PLATO and a major incident at 9.37am – which means terrorism is suspected but not confirmed.
The area around the synagogue in Crumpsall was swamped by dozens of police vehicles, along with fire and ambulance crews, while a force helicopter hovered overhead.
Police officers dressed in black combat fatigues and carrying machine guns could also be seen inside the cordon outside the synagogue.
Bomb scare as shots fired
In video shared on social media, an onlooker could be heard saying that the suspect “has got a bomb on him” and appeared to be trying to press a button to detonate it.
“He’s going to blow himself up, he’s trying to press the button,” the person is heard to say – before there a gunshot rings out and the suspect falls to the ground.
After warning the man several times to stand down to no avail, the armed officers opened fire.
The attacker was shot dead at 9.38am – but GMP said they could not confirm his death for sure.
This was because of safety concerns about the “bomb vest” he appeared to be wearing – but was later revealed to be unviable.
Dad-of-three Yoni Finlay – who helped barricade the doors – was injured either by a stray police bullet or from glass when the bullet hit the door.
He was taken to hospital, reportedly undergoing surgery.
Armed cops shot the suspect after the attack outside a synagogue
ReutersA device that was strapped to the suspected attacker[/caption]
Emergency services on scene
A white lorry marked ‘Bomb Disposal’ arrived at the scene and went behind the cordon outside the synagogue.
A “loud bang” was heard, which police have confirmed was from specialist officers gaining entry to the suspect’s vehicle “as a precaution”.
Paramedics arrived at the scene at soon after at 9.41am and began tending to members of the public.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer – who flew back from Denmark early to chair Cobra – announced that security is being stepped up at every synagogue across the country.
Starmer said: “The attack in Manchester this morning is absolutely shocking, and all of our thoughts are with those affected.
“I am on my way back to London. When I arrive, I will chair an emergency Cobra meeting.”
ReutersPrime Minister Keir Starmer flew back from Denmark early to chair Cobra[/caption]
AFPMembers of the Armed Forces prepare a bomb disposal robot[/caption]
PAA white lorry marked ‘Bomb Disposal’ arrived at the scene and went behind the cordon outside the synagogue[/caption]
Cops raid nearby street
The Mayor of London also announced the Met Police is deploying patrols in Jewish communities and synagogues across the capital.
Later in the day, at 11.38am, a nearby residential street was cordoned off as cops searched houses.
A neighbour of a house raided in Langley Crescent, Prestwich, which appears to be a council house, said she recognised its occupant from photographs of the synagogue attacker.
She told The Telegraph: “He lived there 10 years, with no wife or kids that I could see. He never seemed to speak to anyone around here.
“I recognised him from the pictures of the attacker. I recognised his little car, the Kia, because he’d always park it badly outside ours.
“I’d see him walking around in his pyjamas and slip-on sandals, carrying a shopping bag.
“He was quite bulked up and used to keep his exercise weights in his garage. I’d see them there.”
GettyPolice block off White House avenue near the scene of the attack[/caption]
Three arrested on suspicion of terrorism
Two men were spotted being led away in handcuffs, and it was later confirmed that three people – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – were arrested.
The trio are being held on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.
Police confirmed that the attack was declared a terrorist incident and an investigation into the horror is being led by Counter Terrorist Officers.
Operation Plato – cops’ response to marauding terrorist attacks – was stood down, but it remains a major incident.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism.
Large numbers of Jewish people attend synagogues and fast on this day.
ReutersThe body of a man, believed to be the attacker on the ground at the scene[/caption]
Attacker identified
Yesterday evening, it emerged that the man shot dead is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie.
In an update the force said: “We are now able to confirm that, although formal identification is yet to take place, we believe the person responsible for the attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie.
“He is a British citizen of Syrian descent.”
His name has not appeared in initial searches of police and security service counter-terrorism records, and he is not thought to have been under current investigation.
However, further checks are being carried out to see if any of his details appear anywhere in records of other investigations.
The Home Office confirmed to The Sun that he came to the UK as a young child and was granted citizenship in 2006 as a minor.
He was not known to the police, the Home Secretary has confirmed.
GettyShabana Mahmood said the attacker wasn’t known to police[/caption]
Attack declared a terrorist incident
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.
Speaking at a press conference earlier Chief Constable Stephen Watson branded the attack as a “horrific incident.”
He said: “My thoughts, and those of my officers and staff, are with the families of the loved ones who have been affected by today’s horrific incident, on what is the Jewish community’s holiest day: Yom Kippur.
“This has been officially declared as a terrorist incident, and the investigation is now being led by Counter Terrorist Police.
“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 initial call”, he added.
Melvin Cravitz, 66, tragically died in the attack
Two victims named
This morning, two men who tragically died in the rampage were named as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.
Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries. One sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack.
Cops said: “The third man later presented himself at hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes 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.”
Home Office post-mortems will take place later today, a statement from Greater Manchester Police confirmed this morning.
Everything we know about synagogue terror attacker Jihad Al-Shamie – ‘reclusive’ English tutor who came to UK as a child
By Ryan Merrifield
THE synagogue terror attacker shot dead by police yesterday has been identified by police as Jihad Al-Shamie.
He was an unmarried recluse who was previously not known to authorities.
Al-Shamie killed two Jewish people during a car and knife rampage outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on Thursday morning, leaving three others fighting for their lives.
He came to the UK as a young child, the Home Office confirmed last night.
The twisted 35-year-old was granted citizenship in 2006 as a minor, aged around 16. He was a British national of Syrian descent.
His father appears to have worked as a trauma surgeon for several NGOs in warzones across the world.
Al-Shamie was said to have lived in a council house in Prestwich, not far from the attack site, for 10 years, with a neighbour telling The Sun: “He had no wife or kids that I could see.
“He never seemed to speak to anyone around here.”
The killer appears to have worked as a tutor teaching English and computer programming.
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed that Al-Shamie had no previous Prevent referrals – meaning authorities were not aware that he was a terror risk.
The Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood reiterated the same point, telling GB News: “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.
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
