Manchester Jewish House of Worship Attack Victims Identified as Home Secretary Confirms Assailant Was Unknown to Law Enforcement
The two men killed in yesterday's attack on a Jewish temple in the northern English city have been named as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and sixty-six-year-old Melvin Cravitz, police have said.
Local law enforcement stated formal identification is still pending but their families have been informed and specialist support staff are in contact.
Six-Minute Terror Occurs
The victims were killed when an attacker used a car to ram into the grounds of the local Jewish worship center in north Manchester, then attacked worshippers in a six-minute violent episode that concluded when specialist police shot at him twice.
Three others were critically wounded in the attack on Yom Kippur, the most sacred occasion in the Jewish calendar.
Attacker Named
Law enforcement named the assailant on Thursday night as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, a British citizen of Middle Eastern origin.
Investigating authorities disclosed that additional individuals – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – had been arrested “on suspected involvement of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism”.
Government Statements
The home secretary has confirmed that the man who perpetrated the violent incident in Greater Manchester was not known to the security services.
“In terms of the attacker, this individual was unknown to the intelligence agencies,” commented Shabana Mahmood.
“The individual was obviously been shot dead at the scene, but the police investigations will now continue at pace.”
Autopsies of the victims – each individual are from the local area – will take place later on Friday.
Heightened Security Measures
MI5 and counter-terrorism police will operate at a heightened state of alert in the coming weeks, reflecting concern that the recent violent incident may be followed by others.
Policing at synagogues across the country is to be enhanced.
Community Effects
Perceptions of security in the UK's Jewish population have deteriorated significantly in the recent period, according to the largest survey of UK Jewish residents.
The investigation found thirty-five percent of Jews felt insecure in the UK in the current year, compared with nine percent in two years prior.
Updates will follow on the most recent information on this story as we receive them.
