The family of Jihad Al-Shamie,
the 35-year-old man who launched a knife and car attack at a synagogue in north
Manchester, has issued a public statement condemning his actions and expressing
deep remorse.
Al-Shamie was shot dead by police
on Thursday, October 2, after ramming his car into a group of worshippers
outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, before
stabbing a man. The incident occurred during Yom Kippur, one of the holiest
days in the Jewish calendar.
According to Greater Manchester
Police, two men — Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66 — lost their lives
in the attack, while three others remain hospitalised with serious injuries.
In a statement released after the
incident, the Al-Shamie family described the assault as a “heinous act” and
said they were “profoundly shocked and saddened” by what had happened.
“The news from Manchester
regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound
shock to us,” the statement read.
“The Al-Shamie family in the UK
and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful,
innocent civilians.
We fully distance ourselves from
this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our
hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for
their strength and comfort.
May God have mercy on the
innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Investigations revealed that
Al-Shamie, who arrived in the UK as a child, was granted British citizenship in
2006 at around the age of 16. Authorities say his name did not appear in prior
police or security databases, and he was not under investigation before the
attack.
Neighbours in Prestwich, where he
had reportedly lived since 2021, described him as quiet and solitary, often
seen exercising in his garden or walking around the area in casual or
traditional clothing.
One neighbour said:
“We used to see him working out
in the garden — doing weights and press-ups. Sometimes he wore traditional
clothes, other times just jeans or pyjama bottoms.”
Another resident added that she
recognised him from photos of the attacker:
“He’d lived here for years. He
kept to himself and didn’t really speak to anyone. I recognised his car and his
face from the news.”
Reports suggest that Al-Shamie
worked as a tutor, teaching English and computer programming, while his father
is believed to be a surgeon.
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Shabana
Mahmood said she was “surprised” to learn of the attacker’s name. Speaking on
LBC, she explained:
“I was very surprised to discover
that name myself. As a Muslim, I’ve never heard anyone being called Jihad, but
it is the name he was born with — that has always been his name.”
Police investigations into the
motives and background of the attacker remain ongoing.
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