Manchester, 2 October 2025 — A car-ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in north Manchester has left two worshippers dead and three others seriously injured, with the suspected attacker shot by armed police. The incident, treated as a suspected terrorist attack, unfolded on Thursday morning during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police said they received the first emergency call at 9:37 a.m. reporting a vehicle driven into pedestrians outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Middleton Road in Crumpsall. Witnesses said the driver then exited the vehicle and began stabbing people before being confronted by police. Armed officers opened fire, killing the man after spotting what appeared to be suspicious devices strapped to his waist.
Authorities confirmed that two people died at the scene, while three remain in hospital in a serious condition. Worshippers inside the synagogue were locked down before being safely evacuated. Police declared a major incident and have since deployed additional resources across the country, with “additional police assets” ordered at synagogues and Jewish community centres.
Dr Shola Sparks Controversy
Amid the shock and mourning, author and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu sparked fierce backlash after suggesting Israel was to blame for the violence. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), she posted:
“Horrified not shocked about Manchester Synagogue – Israel’s war crimes endangers all Jews. Not shocked Zionists are weaponizing it against Free Palestine protests & inciting hatred against Muslims which is already astronomical. My condolences are with the victims, 2 are now deceased.”
Dr Shola, a British lawyer, political commentator and author of This is Why I Resist, is a regular media contributor on issues of race, inequality and women’s rights. But her remarks linking the Manchester killings to Israel’s conduct in Gaza and the West Bank prompted furious responses online.
One user wrote: “Appalling. You can’t even let Jewish people have their grief for a few hours without making it about yourself.”
Another posted: “Israel has no bearing on this attack. It is murder pure and simple. It is very cynical to suggest a link to Palestine.”
Others accused Dr Shola of deflecting blame from the attacker. One reply read: “No Jew should be under attack for the Israeli government’s actions; that’s not Israel’s fault, that’s the perpetrator who clearly has sick enough thoughts to carry out this attack. You’re trying to spin this one and point blame elsewhere.”
Security Heightened
The timing of the assault on Yom Kippur has compounded the sense of shock within Britain’s Jewish community. The day is traditionally marked by fasting, prayer and reflection, with synagogues often filled to capacity.
Police continue to investigate the attack under counter-terrorism protocols, and bomb disposal teams were deployed as a precaution. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has described the assault as “heinous” and ordered a COBRA meeting, while Jewish organisations have urged calm amid heightened security.
As the community mourns the victims, the controversy surrounding Dr Shola’s comments has underscored the wider tensions around antisemitism, free speech, and political discourse in Britain.
