Police still questioning six as investigation continues into synagogue attack

Police are continuing to question six people arrested as part of investigations into the background of Manchester synagogue terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie, who it emerged was on bail for an alleged rape at the time of the fatal attack.

The 35-year-old was heard to shout “this is what they get for killing our children” as he tried to get inside Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on Thursday.

Adrian Daulby, 53, is believed to have been shot dead by police while attempting to prevent Al-Shamie entering the synagogue during the car and knife attack.

He was killed together with Melvin Cravitz, 66, from Crumpsall, who died while working as a security guard at the synagogue and helping prevent the attacker from entering the premises.

Armed police accidentally shot Mr Daulby and another member of the public who survived during the attack, which happened on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Three men remain in hospital with serious injuries, according to police.

On Friday night, police raided a house in Central Avenue, Bolton, while six people have been detained on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts as part of the investigation, with counter-terrorism police saying they will seek warrants to give them extra time to continue questioning them.

And Sir Keir Starmer has urged people planning to protest in Manchester and London this weekend to “respect the grief of British Jews” as he said demonstrations could cause further pain to mourners.

Writing in The Jewish Chronicle and Jewish News, the Prime Minister said: “This is a moment of mourning. It is not a time to stoke tension and cause further pain.”

Meanwhile Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said he had spoken to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and urged the Government to “fight the pro-Palestinian marches and protests”.

The protest in central London, organised by the protest group Defend Our Juries, is set to go ahead and the group stated: “Cancelling peaceful protests lets terror win.”

A minute’s silence will be held at Old Trafford on Saturday during Manchester United’s match against Sunderland in tribute to the victims, with players expected to wear black armbands.

Head of counter-terrorism policing Laurence Taylor said on Friday that a “suspicious device” attached to Al-Shamie’s torso had been confirmed as fake following analysis and that police believed he “may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology”.

He added: “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 (counter-terror) related criminal history.

“This includes a recent arrest for rape, which resulted in him being bailed.”

On Friday, the police watchdog, which is investigating the incident, said it was examining the use of lethal force by Greater Manchester Police firearms officers.

The probe would include “whether police may have caused or contributed to the death” of Mr Daulby.

The synagogue’s chairman of trustees, Alan Levy, who helped barricade the doors, described seeing Al-Shamie “with a big knife, banging his knife into the glass, trying to get through”.

He told ITV News: “We were barricading the doors between us with Rabbi Walker and a number of the other congregants. He couldn’t get in because we were holding the doors firm.”

A tribute provided by Mr Daulby’s family described him as “a lovely, down-to-earth man” and added: “Adrian Daulby was a hero and tragically lost his life in the act of courage to save others.”

Mr Cravitz’s family said in their tribute that he was “kind” and “caring” and was “devoted” to his wife and family.

The family of Al-Shamie, who was born in Syria and came to the UK at a young age, posted a statement on social media distancing themselves from the attack and said: “The Al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians.”

Other older Facebook posts by the terrorist’s father, Faraj Al-Shamie, who has worked as a trauma surgeon in warzones, praised Iranian missile attacks on Israeli cities and said the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel were carried out by “men of God on Earth”.