Police Neutralize Terrorist in Manchester Synagogue Attack

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are investigating a terrorist attack that occurred on October 2, 2025, at approximately 9:31 a.m. BST outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Middleton Road, Crumpsall, Manchester. The incident, which took place during Yom Kippur services, resulted in the tragic loss of two lives and serious injuries to three others.

The attacker, identified as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, deliberately drove a vehicle into a group of pedestrians near the synagogue before exiting and attacking individuals with a knife. Al-Shamie, wearing a vest resembling an explosive device (later confirmed to be fake), was shot dead by armed officers after failing to comply with orders to drop his weapon.

Two men, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, both from the Crumpsall Jewish community, were killed—one from stab wounds and the other from the vehicle impact. A third fatality was confirmed on October 3, with evidence indicating the victim was struck by police gunfire during the incident. Three others remain in serious condition in hospital, with injuries from the ramming, stabbing, and possible crossfire.
Counterterrorism Police, led by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, have classified the attack as an antisemitic terrorist incident. Three individuals—two men and one woman—were arrested on October 3 on suspicion of assisting in the attack’s preparation, including sourcing the fake explosive vest. Ongoing investigations, including searches of multiple properties, have not uncovered a wider plot at this stage.