British police have stated that the two Jews killed in the attack at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester were likely fatally wounded by gunfire from armed officers who tried to stop the attacker. According to preliminary reports, the victims were outside the synagogue door, attempting to prevent the attacker from entering.
Manchester Synagogue Attack: Police Confirm Victims May Have Died from Officers’ Shots
The incident occurred on the morning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. The attacker drove a car into the crowd and stabbed them. Two people were killed—53-year-old Adrian Dolby and 66-year-old Melvin Kravitz—and three others were injured. The attacker, 35-year-old Jihad al-Shami, was shot dead by arriving police.
Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson noted that initial autopsy results showed gunshot wounds on one of the victims. “This is a tragic and unintended consequence of the swift action of my officers, who did everything they could to stop this brutal attack,” he said.
Community and Government Response
The Jewish community in Britain acknowledged that a similar attack had long been feared amid rising anti-Semitism in the country. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis called this day “one we hoped to avoid, but knew could come.”
Prime Minister Kiir Starmer and his deputy, David Lammy, visited Manchester to offer condolences and promise increased security. At the evening vigil, Rabbi Daniel Walker called the victims “special and honorable people.”
Rising Tensions
According to the CST, an organization that tracks hate incidents, the number of anti-Semitic attacks in Britain has reached record levels in recent years. Following the tragedy, police stepped up security at synagogues and Jewish cultural centers.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called on London to take a tougher stance against radical demonstrations, which he called “toxic and anti-Semitic.”
Manchester Attack
British counter-terrorism police reported that 35-year-old Jihad al-Shami, a British citizen of Syrian descent, was likely involved in the Manchester synagogue attack. However, law enforcement officials emphasized that formal identification is not yet complete.
According to police, al-Shami was not part of the government’s “Prevent” program, which aims to identify signs of radicalization and prevent it.
