One of two victims in Manchester synagogue attack may have been killed by police

One of nan 2 men killed successful a car and weapon onslaught connected a synagogue successful nan metropolis of Manchester whitethorn person been killed by a slug fired by a constabulary officer, nan unit said connected Friday.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Stephen Watson said a forensic introspection has provisionally wished that nan unfortunate had "a coiled accordant pinch a gunshot injury". He said nan attacker did not person a weapon and that nan only shots fired were by police.

"This wounded whitethorn sadly person been sustained arsenic a tragic and unforeseen consequence of nan urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious onslaught to an end," Watson said.

Police said section residents Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died successful nan onslaught connected Thursday connected nan Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue successful nan Manchester suburb of Crumpsall. Three different group are hospitalised successful superior condition. 

Police changeable and killed a fishy 7 minutes aft he rammed a car into pedestrians extracurricular nan synagogue connected Thursday greeting and past attacked them pinch a knife. He wore what appeared to beryllium an explosives belt, which was recovered to beryllium fake.

The battle took spot arsenic group gathered astatine nan Orthodox synagogue connected Yom Kippur, nan time of atonement and nan astir intense time successful nan Jewish calendar.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, nan caput of Orthodox Judaism successful Britain, said nan onslaught was nan consequence of "an unrelenting activity of Jew hatred" connected nan streets and online.

"This is nan time we hoped we would ne'er see, but which heavy down, we knew would come," he wrote connected societal media.

Attacker was not known to police

Police identified nan attacker arsenic Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British national of Syrian descent who entered nan United Kingdom arsenic a young kid and became a national successful 2006. Al-Shamie translates into English arsenic "the Syrian", and authorities are unsure whether that is his commencement name.

Police said nan crime is being investigated arsenic a violent attack. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said nan attacker was not antecedently known to constabulary aliases to Prevent, a nationalist counterterror programme that tries to place group astatine consequence of radicalisation.

Mahmood said "it's excessively early to say" whether nan attacker acted unsocial aliases was portion of a cell.

Police said they are still probing nan attacker's motive. Officers arrested 3 group Thursday connected suspicion of nan mentation aliases committee of acts of terrorism. They are 2 men successful their 30s and a female successful her 60s.

Religious and governmental leaders condemned nan onslaught and pledged to reassure Britain's Jewish community, which numbers astir 300,000.

Police said other officers would beryllium connected nan streets of Manchester connected Friday and done nan play to reassure nan community.

Recorded antisemitic incidents successful nan UK person risen sharply since Hamas' October 7, 2023, onslaught connected Israel and Israel's ensuing warfare against Hamas successful Gaza, according to Community Security Trust, an defense group for British Jews. More than 1500 incidents were reported successful nan first half of nan year, nan second-highest six-month full reported since nan grounds group complete nan aforesaid play a twelvemonth earlier.

Calls for pro-Palestinian protests to beryllium cancelled

Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced nan "vile" assailant who "attacked Jews because they are Jews". He promised British Jews that he would do "everything successful my powerfulness to guarantee you nan information that you deserve".

He said nan state would travel together "to wrap our arms astir your organization and show you that Britain is simply a spot wherever you and your family are safe, unafraid and belong".

Some politicians and belief leaders claimed pro-Palestinian demonstrations, which person been held regularly since nan warfare successful Gaza began, had played a domiciled successful spreading hatred of Jews. Some opportunity chants specified arsenic "From nan stream to nan sea, Palestine will beryllium free" incite violence. Others, including Jews who support nan protests, opportunity they want a ceasefire, an extremity to nan suffering of Palestinians successful Gaza and nan merchandise of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Mirvis, nan main rabbi, urged authorities to "get a grip connected these demonstrations. They are dangerous".

"You cannot abstracted nan words connected our streets, nan actions of group successful this way, and what inevitably results, which was yesterday's violent attack," he told nan BBC.

Mahmood, nan location secretary, said 40 group were arrested connected Thursday evening astatine protests that were unrelated to nan synagogue onslaught and were organised successful consequence to nan Israeli navy's interception of a flotilla attempting to break Israel's blockade of Gaza.

She said it was "dishonorable" that nan protests had not been cancelled aft nan Manchester attack.

Police successful London urged organisers to telephone disconnected a protestation planned for Saturday to reason nan banning of nan group Palestine Action. Organisers said they would not cancel nan demonstration.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay crossed each nan latest successful breaking news, sport, authorities and nan upwind via our news app and get notifications sent consecutive to your smartphone. Available connected the Apple App Store and Google Play.