Updated 10:15 24 Oct 2025
Detectives investigating the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue are appealing for several remaining eyewitnesses to come forward.
On the morning of Thursday 2 October 2025, Jihad Al Shamie attended at the Synagogue and conducted his attack.
Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz sadly died, and three other men were treated in hospital for serious injuries. Two have since been released.
CCTV enquiries conducted by officers have confirmed that, in the moments prior to police attendance, several unidentified witnesses were present, including an elderly man who was walking with a young child.
The elderly man was wearing a distinctive wide brimmed brown hat and was using a walking stick.
In addition to pedestrians passing the synagogue at the time of the incident, there were also numerous vehicles which stopped at the scene and attempted to provide care to those injured in the attack.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said: “Our investigation into the terrorist attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue is continuing and, so far, over 50 witnesses have been interviewed as part of the investigation.
“We are incredibly grateful for the public’s support, however we know from CCTV footage taken of the incident that there are still several eyewitnesses who remain unidentified. This includes an elderly man and a young child, as well as motorists who stopped at the scene to provide care to those who were injured.
“Nobody should ever see what those people saw. They have witnessed an unimaginably traumatic event and could potentially be struggling with processing the scenes that confronted them that day.
“That is why, in addition to assisting with our investigation, we are keen to identify and speak to anyone who was present at the time of the incident or the immediate aftermath so that we can ensure they have access to all the welfare support options that are available to witnesses. It is also incredibly important that all witnesses are identified as part of our support for the coronial investigation.
“If you think you may be one of these witnesses then please contact us via the Major Incident Public Portal or by calling 0161 856 3946.
“Uniformed police patrols remain in the area to offer visible reassurance to the local community. If you have any concerns, then please approach one of these officers and speak with them.”
Update 18:44 9 Oct 2025
A 30-year-old man arrested on 2 October on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism following the terror attack in Crumpsall last week has today (9 October) been re-arrested on suspicion of Failing to Disclose Information contrary to S38B of the Terrorism Act 2000.
The man was arrested at 12.34pm under PACE at Manchester Airport earlier today and has since been released on bail with conditions.
We do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the public following the incident last week.
This remains a live investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing North West.
Update 18:01 8 Oct 2025
Following a statement made earlier by ACC Rob Potts, we can confirm that all four suspects will be released without charge today.
Update 18:00 8 Oct 2025
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, from Counter Terrorism Policing North West, said:
We are now almost a week on from the appalling terrorist attack that took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
This has been a week of deep trauma and mourning for the Jewish community at a time when they should have been observing one of the holiest periods in the calendar of their faith.
From the moment the first call came into police, our efforts have been driven by a desire to establish the truth for all those affected and the wider community.
They have been at the forefront of our minds and continue to be in our thoughts today.
Counter Terrorism Policing investigations can be complex and take time due to the nature of the information and evidence that is meticulously gathered and assessed. However, they are unique in the fact that we have an entire national network of resources at our disposal which is ready to mobilise at short notice.
Significant numbers of specialist officers and staff, alongside Greater Manchester Police and other partner agencies, have worked non-stop to establish a clearer picture of the circumstances surrounding what happened.
I can now offer some updates on that progress.
Counter Terrorism officers have arrested and interviewed six people at length.
Two of those individuals were released without charge on Sunday evening and we have further releases planned for today. This does not mean our investigation has concluded.
We have conducted extensive CCTV and house to house enquiries and we have spoken with potential witnesses and members of the community.
We have been told from witness accounts that a man, now confirmed to be Jihad Al Shamie, was seen acting suspiciously outside the synagogue before he was confronted by security. This was not reported to police because the man walked away when challenged.
Around 15 minutes later, he returned to the scene in a black Kia vehicle and deliberately drove the car at innocent members of the public before colliding with a wall. He then stepped out of the vehicle armed with a knife and resumed his attack.
He had a second knife in his possession and was also wearing a hoax device on his person. This device has since been assessed and confirmed to be a non-viable device.
Minutes after the first call was made to GMP and as firearms officers were making their way to the scene, Al Shamie called 999 claiming responsibility for the attack. He also pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
The attack continued but thanks to the bravery of security staff, worshippers and the fast action of police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access to the synagogue.
Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz sadly died. Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries.
Specially trained officers are in frequent contact with the families to provide support and update them on our progress.
We have conducted assessments across our systems, and I can reiterate that Al-Shamie had never been referred to the PREVENT programme, nor was otherwise known to Counter Terrorism Policing.
However, at this stage of our investigation, we are more confident that he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology, the 999 call forms part of this assessment.
It’s important to stress that we look across all the evidence gathered to make our assessment of the motivation behind this attack, this assessment continues and there may be further drivers and motivations identified.
We are also starting to understand more about him as an individual, and I’m grateful to all those who have contacted police with information.
This remains a live counter terrorism investigation.
Although we have made significant progress since the attack took place, we are still in the relatively early stages and there is much work to be done. We are also supporting the coroner with their respective investigation.
I know there is significant public interest in this case, and we will continue to release updates where possible.
I want to record my sincere thanks to members of the local community for their patience and support as we have conducted our enquiries.
Without it we would not have been able to progress this investigation at the pace we have.
Finally, I know that when we are faced with such horrific events, it sparks a lot of public discussion and commentary. However, I want to appeal to anybody with material that could potentially be useful to please share that with us directly.
You can do this by visiting the Major Incident Public Portal page online.
Update 16:11 5 Oct 2025
Our investigation into the appalling terrorist incident that took place outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue is continuing at pace.
The investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW), supported by resources from across the national Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) network and Greater Manchester Police. Significant resources from across CTP have been mobilised in order to establish the full picture into what has happened.
Yesterday (Saturday 4 October 2025), warrants of further detention were granted for four individuals who had been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. This means they can remain in custody for up to a further five days from the point that warrant was granted.
Two others, a man and a woman, were released without charge after being arrested last Thursday.
We understand there is significant public interest in this case, and appreciate many who may have known or had previous contact with Jihad Al-Shamie will be coming to terms with the fact this horrifying attack has been perpetrated by somebody they recognise.
In times of trauma, we know that speaking out about past experience can help people process difficult circumstances, however we would continue to ask that anybody with information please share that with us directly.
We would also ask people to refrain from speculation or sharing unverified information as that could potentially cause unnecessary delays in our enquiries and additional upset for all those impacted by these horrific events.
If you have information then please contact police via the Major Incident Public Portal which is available online here.
Update 22:10 4 Oct 2025
The 18-year-old woman and 43-year-old man who were arrested in connection with the investigation into the terrorist incident that took place outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue have been released with no further action.
Update 14:50 4 Oct 2025
Our investigation into the appalling terrorist incident that took place outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue is continuing at pace.
The investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW), supported by resources from across the national Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) network and Greater Manchester Police.
Significant resources from across CTP have been mobilised in order to establish the full picture into what has happened.
We have been granted warrants of further detention for four individuals currently in custody. This means they can remain in custody for up to a further five days.
They are:
- A 30-year-old man – Arrested in Prestwich
- A 61-year-old woman – Arrested in Prestwich
- A 32-year-old man – Arrested in Prestwich
- A 46-year-old woman – Arrested in Farnworth
An 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man, who were arrested in Farnworth, remain in custody for questioning.
Everyone in custody has been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism.
Enquiries are ongoing.
Update 20:30 3 Oct 2025
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing Laurence Taylor said:
“I want to express my deepest sympathies to all the innocent people involved in the appalling terrorist incident that took place outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue yesterday.
“They are at the forefront of our minds as the Counter Terrorism Policing investigation continues.
“I am now able to share more information regarding our investigation, however I must stress that we are in the relatively early stages of our enquiries, and this remains a developing picture.
“We have been told from witness accounts that a man was seen acting suspiciously outside the synagogue before he was confronted by security and walked away. Based on the information we have at this time, we don’t believe this was reported to Greater Manchester Police because the man had left the area.
“Around 15 minutes later, the individual returned in a vehicle and began his horrific attack.
“There were a large number of worshippers in attendance but thanks to the bravery of security staff, worshippers and the fast action of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access.
“Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, sadly died. Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries.
“We believe the suspect, who died at the scene, was 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie. A suspicious device that was attached to his torso was assessed and we can confirm it was a fake.
“Based on some fast time assessments conducted on our systems, this individual does not appear to be known to Counter Terrorism Policing, however he does have a non-CT related criminal history. This includes a recent arrest for rape, which resulted in him being bailed.
“At this stage, we believe Al-Shamie may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology. Establishing the full circumstances of the attack is likely to take some time.
“We have now arrested three further people, one man and two women, aged between 18 and mid-40s. This brings the number of people in custody arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism to six.
“We will be seeking warrants of further detention for all six individuals and will seek to issue an update on this later.
“I would like to once again stress that our investigation is still in its early stages. I know there is significant public interest in this case, and we will seek to provide timely updates on our progress where possible.
“We would ask people to refrain from speculation or sharing unverified information as that could potentially cause unnecessary delays in our enquiries and additional upset for all those impacted by these horrific events.
“If you have information then please contact police via the Major Incident Public Portal which is available online.”
Update 21:10 2 Oct 2025
The investigation into the attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester this morning continues.
We can confirm that three suspects are currently in custody and have been arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. They are two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s.
Scenes remain in place on White House Avenue, Crumpsall and Langley Crescent in Prestwich, which are also linked to the arrests.
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.
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.