Bravery of synagogue attack victims remembered as first funeral takes place

The funeral of the first victim of the Manchester synagogue terror attack has taken place as the shocked community struggles to come to terms with the deaths of two “brave” men.

Mourners paid tribute to Melvin Cravitz, 66, from Crumpsall, who died after he helped to prevent Jihad Al-Shamie from entering the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue as the attack unfolded on Thursday.

His family said he was a man who “would do anything to help anyone”.

Adrian Daulby, 53, also died and is believed to have been shot dead by police while trying to stop Al-Shamie from getting into the synagogue.

Marc Levy, chief executive of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester, paid tribute to the two men at an event in Manchester on Sunday marking the second anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel.

Three men remain in hospital with serious injuries, including a security guard with car-impact injuries and a Community Security Trust (CST) worker with stab wounds.

Al-Shamie, 35, who was on bail for an alleged rape, was shot dead by police as he targeted the place of worship on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The police watchdog, which is investigating the incident, said it was examining the use of lethal force by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) firearms officers and the investigation will include “whether police may have caused or contributed to the death” of Mr Daulby.

Four people arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts remain in custody after police were granted a further five days to question them on Saturday.

Alan Levy, chairman of the trustees of Heaton Park Synagogue, told Sky News how worshippers held the synagogue doors closed as Al-Shamie tried to force his way inside.

“He was throwing plant pots at the glass. He was using a knife to try and get in. These brave men basically saved the community from further harm,” Mr Levy said.

“All I was thinking was ‘we’ve got to keep these doors closed’.

“He was trying each door in turn. When we realised which door he was going to, we moved doors so there was more pressure on the doors to keep them closed.”

The Home Secretary said the attack raises deep questions about community relations in the UK.

Shabana Mahmood warned there were “malign and dark forces running amok across our country”, with antisemitism and “other forms of hatred” on the rise.

She told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I am very worried about the state of community relations in our country. I know I, as the Home Secretary, have a responsibility to think about the action the Government can take to strengthen our communities, to make sure people are well integrated into our society.

“That is a bigger piece of work for us to do, but I do recognise the sense of people feeling let down. I do recognise that people have been saying for a while that this was only a matter of time.

“It is devastating to hear our citizens say that and I will ensure that the Government response to what has happened meets the scale of the challenge that is being put to us.”

On Times Radio she added: “We have a broader problem of a rise not only in antisemitism but in other forms of hatred as well.

“There are clearly malign and dark forces running amok across our country.

“It’s a challenge for governments of all stripes to work out how to deal with these issues without placing more pressure, and frankly more unwanted burden and responsibility, on minority communities.”

A former friend told The Sun that Al-Shamie was obsessed with the violent video game Street Fighter, smoked cannabis from an early age and was a “rebellious wild child” who got in trouble with his parents.

The Manchester Evening News reported that it had seen a string of “abusive” messages sent by Al-Shamie to a former girlfriend.

Neighbours reported seeing reclusive Al-Shamie, who had dropped out of university, lifting weights in his garage or wandering around in pyjamas and flip flops.

Counter Terrorism Policing North West is leading the investigation.

Residents in the Middleton Road area of Crumpsall were allowed to return to their homes on Sunday.

A reduced cordon remains while inquiries continue and extra patrols and officers are in place to support the community, GMP said.

Those who remain in custody are two men, aged 30 and 32, and a woman, 61, all arrested in Prestwich, and a 46-year-old woman arrested in Farnworth.

An 18-year-old woman and a 43-year-old man who were arrested in Farnworth, were released with no further action on Saturday.