Police have named the man shot dead after a deadly terror attack outside a Manchester synagogue as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, as three other suspects remain in custody.
In a Thursday evening update, Counter Terror Policing said that while formal identification has yet to be confirmed, they believe Al-Shamie was the attacker who drove a car into worshippers and then launched a knife assault outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall.
Two people were killed and at least three others seriously injured in the Yom Kippur morning attack. Armed police shot the suspect within seven minutes of the first 999 call, after spotting what appeared to be an explosive vest. A bomb disposal unit later confirmed the device was not viable.
Read More: Outrage as Dr Shola blames Israel after synagogue attack
Wider Arrests and Investigation
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.” Properties on White House Avenue, Crumpsall and Langley Crescent, Prestwich remain cordoned off as part of the investigation.
Counter Terror Policing added that Al-Shamie does not appear in existing terrorism records and was not under current investigation. Detectives are still working to determine his motives.
Three men remain in hospital on Thursday night: one with stab wounds, another struck by the vehicle, and a third who later presented himself with injuries possibly sustained as officers confronted the suspect.
Police are also working to formally identify the two victims and are providing support to their families.
National and Royal Response
The attack, which struck on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, has drawn condemnation from across the UK.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the assault “appalling” and convened an emergency COBRA meeting, while confirming that additional police units have been deployed to synagogues nationwide. King Charles III expressed his “deep shock and sadness,” while the Prince and Princess of Wales issued a statement:
“Our thoughts are with the victims and the families of the terrible attack at Heaton Park Synagogue. The fact that this tragedy occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more shocking.”
