What we know after police say Manchester attacker cited Islamic State

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LONDON - UK counter terrorism police on Wednesday revealed the man who attacked a Manchester synagogue made an emergency call to police during his rampage to "pledge allegiance" to Islamic State.

Details about the attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, have gradually emerged since the October 2 attack on the mosque in the northwestern city.

Almost a week after the attack, in which two Jewish men died, here is what we know so far:

Who was the attacker?

Shamie, 35, of Syrian descent, entered the United Kingdom as a child and was granted British citizenship in 2006 when he was around 16.

Police arrived quickly on the scene and shot Shamie dead within seven minutes of the first emergency call, after he drove a car into a crowd outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, in north Manchester.

"In the initial stages of the attack... a call was made by the attacker to police claiming to pledge allegiance to the so-called Islamic State", a spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing in northwest England said Wednesday.

The Sun newspaper reported that he had told police, "I have killed two Jews in the name of the Islamic State".

Police have repeatedly said Shamie had never been referred to the counter terrorism programme.

But in a statement Wednesday, they said, "at this stage of our investigation, we are more confident that he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology".

He had recently been bailed on a rape charge.

UK media reported that Shamie was heard shouting: "This is what you're going to get for killing our children," in an apparent reference to the Gaza war.

His family live in Prestwich, some three kilometres (two miles) from the scene of the attack, in the Manchester suburb of Crumpsall.

Shamie's father is believed to be a trauma doctor who has worked for several NGOs in war zones.

In a statement posted on what is believed to be the father's Facebook page, the family condemned Shamie's attack and voiced "our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened".

But UK media also reported the dad had praised the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in social media posts.

What happened?

The attack began on Thursday, October 2, at around 09:30 am local time (0830 GMT)

Shamie was spotted about 15 minutes before walking past the synagogue. He then returned in the car.

After ramming into a crowd, Shamie got out of the car armed with two knives and began stabbing people.

Those inside the synagogue, packed with worshippers for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, quickly barred the doors to prevent him from entering. Outside, others threw flower pots at Shamie, as he also tried stabbing the building's windows to get in.

A police bomb squad was dispatched to the scene as Shamie appeared to be wearing an explosives jacket. It later turned out to be a hoax.

Shamie was shot dead seven minutes after the attack began.

Who were the victims?

Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed, while three other people were seriously wounded.

Daulby was inside the synagogue and, with others, including rabbi Daniel Walker, held the doors shut.

Daulby died from a fatal gunshot wound, likely fired by armed police at the scene. Another person was wounded by a bullet.

Police described Daulby as "one of the brave worshippers" who had "prevented the attacker from gaining access to the premises". His funeral was on Monday.

Cravitz was a worshipper at the synagogue at the time of the incident, police said. He "courageously stopped the attacker from entering the building", they added. His funeral was on Sunday.

Status of investigation

The attack was one of the worst antisemitic incidents in Europe since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

Assistant chief constable Rob Potts said Wednesday, "significant numbers of specialist officers and staff ... have worked non-stop to establish a clearer picture of the circumstances".

Six people were arrested in the wake of the attack. Two were released on Saturday without charge, and the four others "will be released without charge," on Wednesday, Potts said.

He said this "remains a live counter terrorism investigation" and despite "significant progress ... there is much work to be done".