Manchester Jewish House of Worship Assault Victims Identified as Home Secretary Says Assailant Was Not Known to Law Enforcement
Both men killed in Thursday's violent incident on a synagogue in Manchester have been identified as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, police have said.
Greater Manchester police stated official confirmation is still pending but their relatives have been notified and specialist support staff are in contact.
Brief but Violent Terror Occurs
The victims were lost their lives when an attacker used a car to ram into the premises of the local Jewish worship center in Crumpsall, then attacked congregation members in a six-minute rampage that only ended when specialist police fired upon him.
Additional individuals were critically wounded in the attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Perpetrator Identified
Police identified the assailant on yesterday evening as Jihad al-Shamie, thirty-five, a British citizen of Syrian descent.
Greater Manchester police revealed that additional individuals – two males in their 30s and a female in her 60s – had been detained “on suspicion of planning, preparation and encouragement of terrorist activities”.
Official Statements
The interior minister has confirmed that the individual who perpetrated the attack in the region was not known to the security services.
“Regarding the perpetrator, this person was not known to the intelligence agencies,” commented Shabana Mahmood.
“He has reportedly been fatally wounded at the scene, but the official inquiry will now continue at pace.”
Autopsies of the victims – both of whom are from the local area – will be conducted later on Friday.
Increased Protection Arrangements
MI5 and specialist units will operate at a heightened state of alert in the near future, indicating apprehension that the Manchester synagogue attack may be replicated elsewhere.
Security presence at Jewish worship centers across the country is to be increased.
Community Effects
Perceptions of security in the UK's Jewish population have declined sharply in the recent period, according to the most comprehensive study of British Jews.
The investigation found thirty-five percent of Jews felt unsafe in the UK in 2025, compared with nine percent in 2023.
Updates will follow on the latest developments on this situation as we receive them.
