Police have revealed that Jihad al-Shamie, the man who attacked worshippers outside Heaton Park synagogue in north Manchester on Yom Kippur, made a 999 call during the attack pledging allegiance to the Islamic State terror group. The 35-year-old drove his car at worshippers, then attacked others with a knife and attempted to storm the synagogue wearing a fake suicide belt.
The attack resulted in the deaths of Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, who is believed to have been inadvertently shot by police as he tried to block the synagogue doors. The Independent Office for Police Conduct said it is not investigating any firearms officers for Daulby's death but is treating three armed officers as witnesses.
Shamie, a Syrian-born UK citizen, had not been on the radar of counter-terror officers, but police now believe he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology. Rob Potts, head of counter-terrorism policing in the north-west, stated that the 999 call forms part of this assessment. He added that the attacker was seen acting suspiciously outside the synagogue shortly before the attack but left when challenged, returning 15 minutes later in a black Kia vehicle.
Four people were arrested in connection with the attack, with some to be released later on Wednesday. Three men remain in hospital with serious injuries, including a security guard and a Community Security Trust worker. The killer was on police bail for an alleged rape at the time of the attack, and the IOPC is assessing whether to investigate Greater Manchester police over prior contact.
Neighbours of Shamie reported contacting police four or five years ago with concerns that a family member had been radicalised and was preaching the Qur'an to local children. It has also emerged that Shamie had Islamic marriages to three women simultaneously and fathered two young children with one of them.
