A rampaging knifeman shot dead by police after stabbing two Jewish people to death on Yom Kippur has been named.
Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Syrian descent, burst into Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester this morning.
Al-Shamie slammed his car into a man at the entrance, got out and began stabbing everyone he came across.
Strapped with a fake suicide belt, his murder rampage was put to an end when armed officers shot him dead as his victims lay bleeding to death just yards away.
Follow Metro’s live blog for the latest on the Manchester synagogue attack
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.
A Counter Terrorism Police spokesman said: ‘We are now able to confirm that, although formal identification is yet to take place, we believe the person responsible for today’s attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie.
‘He is a British citizen of Syrian descent.
‘A suspicious device worn by the attacker during the incident has been assessed and was deemed not to be viable.
‘Based on what we currently know, our records do not show any previous Prevent referrals relating to this individual.
‘Two innocent men were sadly pronounced dead following the incident.
‘Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries. One sustained a stab wound and a second was struck by the car involved in the attack.
‘The third man later presented himself at hospital with an injury that may have been sustained as officers stopped the attacker.’
According to the synagogue’s website, morning prayers started at 9am and several worshippers were inside.
Officers were called at 9.31am by a man who said he witnessed a car being driven directly at people outside.
The driver then stabbed people with a knife, but was unable to gain access to the building after the rabbi barricaded the door.
Footage showed two armed police officers with their rifles aimed at the suspected attacker on the ground as one shouted: ‘He has a bomb, go away!’
The video, posted on Facebook, showed the attacker, who had already been shot, trying to get up again. The video appears to show an officermaking the kill shot.
The force added: ‘We are working to formally identify those who have tragically been killed and provide support to their loved ones, in addition to the injured and the wider community.
‘We are working to understand the motivation behind the attack as the investigation continues.’
