Picture courtesy of Peter Byrne/PA/AP

 

In a shocking development, Manchester police have admitted that a victim killed in a synagogue attack was likely shot by officers trying to neutralise an attacker. During Thursday’s incident outside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, two Jewish men were killed, and several others were injured. The police confessed that the victims were caught in the crossfire as they sought safety within the synagogue.

 

The tragedy coincides with a rise in antisemitic incidents following recent conflicts in the Middle East. The attack, which involved car ramming and stabbing, took place during Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day, escalating fears within the Jewish community. Many residents in Manchester, including family of the victims, are considering relocating to Israel due to safety concerns.

 

Police fired shots in an effort to prevent the attacker, identified as Jihad Al Shamie, from causing further harm after driving into the congregation. Chief Constable Stephen Watson confirmed that Al Shamie was unarmed, implying police gunfire was responsible for victim injuries. Three other people remain hospitalised while investigations are ongoing, focusing on potential extremist influences on Al Shamie.

 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the site, pledging to bolster security for the Jewish community. Emotional tributes were made at a vigil for the victims, Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, with local Jewish leaders expressing deep sorrow and outrage. Meanwhile, British authorities have arrested six individuals connected to the attack as part of a counter-terrorism investigation.

 

Looking forward, police will pursue further detentions of those linked to the incident. The government is urging restraint against antisemitic rhetoric and actions, calling for a halt to demonstrations supporting banned organisations. This drive for unity was echoed by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar who urged tough stances against antisemitism in the UK.

 

 

Key Takeaways:

 

• Manchester police admitted mistakenly shooting synagogue victims.
• Rising antisemitism and safety concerns amplify among UK Jews.
• Six people are in custody amid ongoing counter-terror efforts.

 

Related story:

 

Synagogue Stabbing Shocks Manchester: Four Injured on Yom Kippur

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from CNN 2025-10-04

 

 

Collateral damage.....

Never mind about the police shooting the innocent Keir' got his photo shoot done.

Irresponsible Plod. What was the range of the somewhat large terrorist target - maybe 30 feet at most, and they still couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. 

"Jihad Al-Shamie was arrested on suspicion of rape and on police bail at the time he launched a deadly knife and car attack on a Manchester synagogue, police have said."

 

"Police believe that Al-Shamie may have been influenced by "extreme Islamist ideology" and said three more people, between 18 and mid-40s, had been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism."

 

So this guy was on bail, allowed to walk around free, the cops had him and let him go, UNREAL!!

The Cops dont have an 'intelligence branch' specifically designed to check and prevent "this stuff" from happening or is that a contradiction in terms........cops and intelligence?????

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly97ervz1zo

Monty Python police 

25 minutes ago, Celsius said:

Monty Python police 

Apparently the victims were crouched behind a door trying to block it so the terrorist couldn’t gain entry sad 😞 my condolences to their families sad 😞 

Don't know if it was a ricochet or a thru-n-thru that hit the innocents, or indeed an inaccurate shot, but let's not blame the police and remember why they had to be there.  

 

Not just for the shots but also the fact that this eejit was out on bail.  I suspect the police were simply following their politically-led processes for handling this alleged rapist.

6 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

Collateral damage.....

 

Police incompetence 

I find it hard to believe. The armed police are very highly trained. Even under extreme situations they have not shot an innocent person. I find this very suspicious

5 hours ago, mikeymike100 said:

"Jihad Al-Shamie was arrested on suspicion of rape and on police bail at the time he launched a deadly knife and car attack on a Manchester synagogue, police have said."

 

"Police believe that Al-Shamie may have been influenced by "extreme Islamist ideology" and said three more people, between 18 and mid-40s, had been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism."

 

So this guy was on bail, allowed to walk around free, the cops had him and let him go, UNREAL!!

The Cops dont have an 'intelligence branch' specifically designed to check and prevent "this stuff" from happening or is that a contradiction in terms........cops and intelligence?????

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly97ervz1zo

 

The cops let him go?

 

Staggering level of ignorance.

9 minutes ago, proton said:

Police incompetence 

No. Not the street guys. The higher ups. Not gun guys are they. The solution is Urban Tap

https://www.budsgunshop.com/product_info.php/products_id/411554825/hornady+.223+remington+55gr+tap+urban+20ct

 

Ive seen that stuff explode on plywood at 100 meters. If any British cops are reading, look it up and see what your guys are using.

 

 

5 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Irresponsible Plod. What was the range of the somewhat large terrorist target - maybe 30 feet at most, and they still couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. 

And you were there and would not have opened fire. So how many more people would have died if the police had followed YOUR course of action?

 

It is so easy to be a keyboard warrior and find fault AFTER things happen. 

 

Reality is a lot different.

 

There is an American phrase the describes your post.

 

"Monday morning quarterbacks".

 

Meaning 

 

nouninformal•North American English
noun: Monday morning quarterback; plural noun: Monday morning quarterbacks

a person who passes judgment on and criticizes something after the event.

 

3 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

The cops let him go?

 

Staggering level of ignorance.

The staggering level of ignorance is yours and not that of the police.

 

No. the Police did NOT let him go. 

 

He was released on bail by the court. The police do NOT let people go if they are arrested, they are taken to the courts. NOR do the police mete out justice, that is also the job of the courts.

 

If you have a problem with the attacker being out on bail, then take it to the courts and don't blame the police.

13 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

The cops let him go?

 

Staggering level of ignorance.

By the cops, I agree! And you ??

 

In short, he was let go because UK law favors bail for uncharged suspects without proven risks, but hindsight shows intel gaps let a potential threat walk free.

 Post-attack, police linked Al-Shamie to possible jihadist influences and the 2012 threat, but these weren't connected during bail review. Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) now says he "may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology," prompting arrests of six others (three men, three women, aged 18–60s) for terrorism-related offenses.

7 minutes ago, billd766 said:

The staggering level of ignorance is yours and not that of the police.

 

No. the Police did NOT let him go. 

 

He was released on bail by the court. The police do NOT let people go if they are arrested, they are taken to the courts. NOR do the police mete out justice, that is also the job of the courts.

 

If you have a problem with the attacker being out on bail, then take it to the courts and don't blame the police.

Err no you are wrong!! Try and get some facts correct! The police DID LET HIM GO!!

 

The BBC and related reports (e.g., Guardian, October 2025) state Al-Shamie was “on police bail” for the rape allegation, indicating Greater Manchester Police (GMP) made the decision. No mention of court involvement suggests it was pre-charge bail, standard for ongoing investigations.

 

Why Police?: Al-Shamie wasn’t charged with rape (investigation likely needed more evidence, e.g., DNA or witness corroboration). GMP’s Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) didn’t flag him as a terror risk at the time, despite his 2012 death threat email, so bail was granted with conditions (details undisclosed).

 

No Court Role: There’s no record of a magistrate or judge setting bail, as the case hadn’t reached the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for charging. This aligns with UK practice for uncharged suspects.

40 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

I find it hard to believe. The armed police are very highly trained. Even under extreme situations they have not shot an innocent person. I find this very suspicious

Not all policemen get trained in combat tactics situations. most get basic training for a foot patrol or mobile police

and it seems that the guys that were there were ordinary police. 

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

Not all policemen get trained in combat tactics situations. most get basic training for a foot patrol or mobile police

and it seems that the guys that were there were ordinary police. 

The armed police do and are highly trained

Sadly the Special Forces can't be everywhere at one time. They did how ever arrive by helicopter just after the incident.

3 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Not all policemen get trained in combat tactics situations. most get basic training for a foot patrol or mobile police

and it seems that the guys that were there were ordinary police. 

The armed police who responded to the Manchester synagogue attack on October 2, 2025, were not ordinary (unarmed) cops—they were specialized Armed Response Units or Authorized Firearms Officers (AFOs) from Greater Manchester Police (GMP). These are highly trained specialists, not the standard patrol officers who make up ~97% of UK police

3 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

The armed police do and are highly trained

Sadly not,in this particular case.

Just now, norfolkandchance said:

Sadly not,in this particular case.

Maybe the report is a cover up for something else.

3 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Maybe the report is a cover up for something else.

Hopefully it will all come out in the wash.

 Well, it seems that those guys are we bit rusty not having to disarm many terrorists on their duties, best to bring few guys from the IDF who specialize in this field for a quick refresher course.

54 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

The cops let him go?

 

Staggering level of ignorance.

 

No the police did not let him go. The court system in accordance with UK law required the release.

7 minutes ago, norfolkandchance said:

Hopefully it will all come out in the wash.

Maybe but who knows

1 hour ago, Photoguy21 said:

I find it hard to believe. The armed police are very highly trained. Even under extreme situations they have not shot an innocent person. I find this very suspicious

Clearly not highly enough in this case. Huge compensation claim soon to be on its way to GM police!

3 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

The cops let him go?

 

Staggering level of ignorance.

I doubt that. More likely standing instructions from their political masters on what categories of offence to remand or bail.

 

17 minutes ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

I doubt that. More likely standing instructions from their political masters on what categories of offence to remand or bail.

 

Staggering level of ignorance.

5 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

 

No the police did not let him go. The court system in accordance with UK law required the release.

 

Hi,

 

Yes that what I was pointing out to the poster, but I think it went over his head.