Manchester Synagogue Attack Casualties Named as Interior Minister Confirms Attacker Was Not Known to Police
The two men fatally wounded in yesterday's violent incident on a Jewish temple in Manchester have been identified as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, police have said.
Local law enforcement said official confirmation is yet to take place but their families have been notified and specialist support staff are in contact.
Six-Minute Attack Unfolds
The men were lost their lives when an attacker used a car to ram into the grounds of the local Jewish worship center in Crumpsall, then stabbed congregation members in a brief violent episode that concluded when specialist police fired upon him.
Additional individuals were seriously injured in the attack on Yom Kippur, the most sacred occasion in the Hebrew year.
Attacker Named
Police named the attacker on yesterday evening as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent.
Investigating authorities disclosed that additional individuals – two males in their thirties and a female in her sixties – had been detained “on suspicion of planning, organization and instigation of terrorist activities”.
Official Comments
The interior minister has stated that the man who perpetrated the violent incident in the region was not known to the security services.
“Regarding the perpetrator, this person was not known to the security services,” commented Shabana Mahmood.
“He has reportedly been fatally wounded at the location, but the police investigations will now continue at pace.”
Autopsies of the victims – each individual are from Crumpsall – will be conducted later on Friday.
Increased Protection Measures
The security service and specialist units will function at a elevated readiness level in the coming weeks, reflecting apprehension that the Manchester synagogue attack may be replicated elsewhere.
Security presence at synagogues nationwide is to be increased.
Community Impact
Perceptions of security in the UK's Jewish population have deteriorated significantly in the last couple of years, according to the most comprehensive survey of British Jews.
The investigation found 35% of Jews felt insecure in the UK in 2025, compared with 9% in two years prior.
Updates will follow on the latest developments on this story as we receive them.
