Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, was on police bail following an earlier arrest on suspicion of rape when he carried out a deadly attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester on October 2, 2025, according to Greater Manchester Police. He had not been charged with the rape allegation before the synagogue attack.
Al-Shamie drove a vehicle toward people outside the synagogue and subsequently attacked people with a knife. Two men, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed. Other people were injured. Al-Shamie was shot and killed by armed police responding to the attack.
Al-Shamie was a British citizen of Syrian descent who lived in the Manchester area. Authorities said he was not previously known to counterterrorism police and that his name did not appear in initial searches of police and security-service counterterrorism records.
Counterterrorism investigators said Al-Shamie appeared to have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology. Police also reported that he had called the emergency services during the attack, claimed responsibility, and pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
Police said witnesses had seen Al-Shamie acting suspiciously outside the synagogue before the attack. Security personnel confronted him, after which he walked away. The incident was not reported to police at that time. Police said he returned approximately 15 minutes later in a black Kia and began the attack.
Al-Shamie was wearing an object that initially appeared to be an explosive device. Counterterrorism investigators determined that it was a hoax device that was not capable of detonating. Police also said he was carrying two knives.
The attack occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, while worshippers were attending services. Security personnel and worshippers prevented Al-Shamie from entering the synagogue, according to police accounts.
Police firearms were used during the response. Adrian Daulby was killed during the incident, and another worshipper, Yoni Finlay, was seriously injured by police gunfire. The Independent Office for Police Conduct opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the police shooting and the deaths and injuries associated with the response.
The disclosure that Al-Shamie was on police bail for an earlier rape allegation became part of the subsequent examination of his background. Police confirmed that he had previously been arrested on suspicion of rape and remained on bail when the synagogue attack occurred. The earlier allegation had not resulted in a charge before his death.
Following the attack, police arrested additional people on suspicion of terrorism-related offenses. Counter Terrorism Policing said investigators were examining whether anyone else had been involved in planning, preparing, or instigating the attack.
Al-Shamie's family issued a statement distancing themselves from the attack and expressing shock and sorrow over the deaths and injuries. They said their thoughts were with the victims and their families.
The attack was investigated by Greater Manchester Police and Counter Terrorism Policing, while the Independent Office for Police Conduct separately examined the actions of armed police during the response.
Being on bail following an arrest did not establish that Al-Shamie had committed the earlier rape allegation. Similarly, police statements concerning his ideological motivation represented findings of the investigation rather than a criminal conviction. The synagogue attack itself was investigated as a terrorist incident.
