A deadly terrorist attack struck the Jewish community in Crumpsall, Manchester on Thursday morning, when a man drove a car into worshippers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue during Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, before launching a knife assault that killed two and injured three others.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) identified the attacker as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent. He was fatally shot by armed officers after brandishing what appeared to be a suicide vest — later confirmed to be a dummy device — as he continued the assault.
Police received emergency calls at approximately 9:31 a.m., reporting that a car had rammed into a group gathered outside the synagogue. Eyewitnesses said the driver, later identified as Al-Shamie, exited the vehicle and began stabbing people indiscriminately.
Rabbi Daniel Walker and synagogue security quickly locked the doors from inside, preventing the attacker from entering as Yom Kippur prayers were underway. Armed police responded within minutes and engaged the suspect at 9:38 a.m. Video footage captured officers shouting warnings about a potential bomb before shooting Al-Shamie as he attempted to rise from the ground.
Two male victims in their 40s died at the scene. Among the three injured, one was stabbed, another was struck by the vehicle, and the third sustained injuries during the police operation. All surviving victims are reported to be in stable condition.
Authorities confirmed the incident as a terrorist act. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer returned early from a European summit to chair an emergency Cobra meeting, describing the attack as “an act of terror motivated by antisemitism.”
“You were attacked because you are Jews,” Starmer said in a televised statement. “I will do everything in my power to guarantee your security.”
Three additional individuals — two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s — were arrested in connection with the attack on suspicion of terrorism-related offences. Police cordoned off multiple sites in Crumpsall and Prestwich as part of an ongoing investigation.
GMP said Al-Shamie had never been referred to Prevent, the UK’s official counter-extremism program, despite having lived in Britain since childhood and receiving citizenship in 2006.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis condemned the attack, calling it “the tragic result of escalating antisemitism across the UK.” He praised Rabbi Walker for his swift action in protecting congregants, saying, “This is the day we prayed would never come.”
Local residents echoed the sentiment, hailing Walker as a hero. “He saved lives by staying calm and locking the doors,” one witness said.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham described the assault as a “horrific antisemitic attack,” and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan ordered increased police presence around synagogues nationwide.
Robin Simcox, the government’s extremism commissioner, said the attacker’s use of a dummy suicide vest indicated potential Islamist influences, though no official motive has been confirmed.
“This attack marks a shift in public safety,” Simcox added. “British Jews are openly expressing fear and uncertainty about their future here.”
The Heaton Park Synagogue attack is now one of the most violent antisemitic incidents in the UK in recent memory and has intensified scrutiny of community security, counter-terrorism strategy, and rising hate crimes across the country.
