UK police authorities have confirmed that one of the two victims killed in a terrorist attack on a Manchester synagogue was accidentally shot by police officers responding to the incident.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Chief Constable Stephen Watson revealed late yesterday that a pathologist’s examination indicated one of the deceased suffered a gunshot wound consistent with police gunfire, while another sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Police have not confirmed which of the men was shot, but a source told The Times that a bullet grazed one man’s leg and struck the other in the stomach, proving fatal.
“The only shots fired were from GMP’s Authorised Firearms Officers as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community,” the police chief added.
Watson described the findings as deeply tragic.
The incident took place yesterday, outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, north Manchester.
The perpetrator, identified as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a naturalised British citizen born in Syria, drove a vehicle into a group of pedestrians before leaving the car and embarking on a stabbing spree.
Armed police arrived within minutes and shot dead Al-Shamie at the scene, preventing him from entering the synagogue. He was wearing a vest that initially appeared to contain an explosive device, although it was later confirmed to be non-viable.
The two Jewish men who died were Melvin Cravitz, 66, and 53-year-old Adrian Daulby (also reported as Martin Daulby in some reports).
Three others sustained serious injuries, including one with a stab wound, another struck by the vehicle and a third who presented at hospital with an injury possibly sustained during the police intervention to stop the attacker.
The victims had been positioned behind the synagogue door, acting to block the assailant’s entry and preventing a bigger bloodbath.
Despite the killing, officials emphasise the bravery of responders who neutralised an active threat.
Three additional suspects, two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s, remain in custody on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Al-Shamie had no prior record with counter-terrorism services.
Eylon Levy, the former spokesman for the State of Israel, shared an image of a post by the father of the terrorist on Facebook, praising the work of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade during the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel.
That text was verified by Brussels Signal but today his account was then removed from Facebook.
The father of the Manchester Synagogue terrorist, who named his son Jihad, posted this during Hamas’ October 7 Massacre. pic.twitter.com/MKZv33usDP
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) October 3, 2025
Investigations in the UK continue under counter-terrorism policing to establish motives and any wider networks.
The attack occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and has been declared a terrorist incident by the British authorities.
It came amid ongoing concerns about anti-Semitism in the UK, with many organisations and representatives of the Jewish community highlighting they have warned of the increased risk in recent years.
Ephraim Mirvis, the Chief Rabbi, attributed the incident to an “unrelenting wave of Jew hatred”.
Alex Hearn, co-director of Labour Against Anti-Semitism, echoed this sentiment, stating that many Jews anticipated an attack like this “never ‘if’ but ‘when'” due to spiralling anti-Semitism and foiled plots.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council issued a joint statement describing the incident as “sadly something we feared was coming”.
Pinchas Goldschmidt, the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, called for more to be done to “stamp out murderous ideologies”.
While many were mourning the dead, there was a pro-Palestine march in London in support of the banned group Palestine Action. Scuffles erupted with the police, who had requested city Mayor Sadiq Khan to cancel the protest in light of the terror in Manchester.
UK police have garnered international notoriety through widely shared internet videos depicting arrests for online speech deemed offensive or causing “anxiety,” often under vague hate speech and communications laws.
Clips of possibly questionable arrests have gone viral, fuelling accusations of overreach.
Critics say they prioritised the policing of online speech and non-violent expression over effectively countering jihadist threats and rising anti-Semitism.
Four people have been injured in a knife attack at a synagogue in Manchester, northwest England, today, with police confirming that a suspect has been shot. https://t.co/RX1r92PFcL
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 2, 2025
