Manchester synagogue attacker pledged allegiance to ISIS, police say

By Catherine Nicholls, CNN

(CNN) — The man who carried out a deadly attack outside a synagogue in Manchester, northern England, had pledged his allegiance to ISIS while carrying it out, police said Wednesday.

During the initial stages of the attack outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue last Thursday, the assailant phoned the police “claiming to pledge allegiance to the so-called Islamic State,” a spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing North West said in a statement.

Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, was named by police last week as the suspected attacker. He was shot dead by firearms officers at the scene.

The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.

Two men were killed during the attack, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said, naming them as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66. Both victims were from Crumpsall, the Manchester suburb where the violence took place.

One of the men was likely shot by armed officers aiming for the killer, police said on Friday, adding that they believe the victim was huddled behind a door in the synagogue, trying to prevent the attacker from entering, when he was shot.

“The only shots fired were from GMP’s Authorised Firearms Officers as they worked to prevent the offender from entering the synagogue and causing further harm to our Jewish community,” GMP’s Chief Constable Stephen Watson said Friday.

“It follows therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end,” he added.

Police say Al-Shamie “may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology.” He had recently been arrested on suspicion of rape, but was released on bail “pending further enquiries,” GMP said. It is unclear where the alleged offence took place.

This story has been updated with developments.

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CNN’s Peter Wilkinson and Ivana Kottasová contributed to this report.