Police Confirm Possible Friendly Fire in Manchester Synagogue Attack During Yom Kippur

The United Kingdom has pledged to intensify its efforts against antisemitism as the Jewish community grapples with the aftermath of a tragic attack.

British authorities revealed on Friday that they may have inadvertently shot two victims, including one fatally, while responding to an attack at a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest observance.

In the Thursday incident, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, lost their lives after a British man of Syrian heritage drove into pedestrians before launching a stabbing spree outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Steve Watson confirmed that armed officers fatally shot the attacker at the scene, who was not carrying a firearm, though one victim suffered a gunshot wound.

"It follows therefore this injury may have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end," Watson explained in his statement.

The assailant wore what appeared to be an explosive vest, though police later determined it was incapable of detonation.

Watson indicated another worshipper likely sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, and both victims were believed to be positioned close together behind the synagogue door as congregants attempted to prevent the attacker from entering the building.

Police identified the attacker as Jihad al-Shamie, 35, stating they found no records indicating he had been referred to the government's anti-radicalization program.

Al-Shamie's family expressed "profound shock" in a Facebook statement, distancing themselves from what they termed his "heinous act".

The British government committed to strengthening measures against antisemitism as the Jewish community reeled from the attack.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the attack site on Friday, speaking with police and ambulance service personnel and commending "the degree of professionalism and speed" of their response.

Police urged organizers of a planned London demonstration supporting a banned pro-Palestinian group to cancel or postpone the event, arguing it would divert resources needed to protect vulnerable communities.

Organizers maintained the protest would proceed, stating it was the police's decision whether to arrest individuals "peacefully holding signs".

Britain, like other European nations and the United States, has documented a significant increase in antisemitic incidents during the nearly two years since the Gaza conflict began.

Israel has criticized Britain for allegedly allowing antisemitism to proliferate in its cities and universities, reiterating these criticisms following Thursday's attack.

Last month, Starmer announced Britain's recognition of a Palestinian state, a decision Israel condemned as "a huge reward to terrorism".

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood criticized pro-Palestinian demonstrations that occurred shortly after the Manchester attack, describing them as un-British and dishonourable while urging greater "humanity and some love towards a community that is grieving".

The attack deeply shocked British Jews, particularly in Manchester, which houses Britain's largest Jewish community outside London in this highly diverse city.

Many Jewish leaders observed that they represent the only faith in Britain routinely requiring security at their institutions.

According to the Community Security Trust, which provides security for Jewish organizations across Britain, last year ranked as the second-worst on record for antisemitic incidents, surpassed only by 2023, with over 3,500 incidents documented.

Islamophobic incidents in Britain have also risen since the Gaza conflict began.

Friday morning saw a substantial police presence at the attack scene, with debris still scattered and floral tributes being placed nearby.

Dawud Taj, a 28-year-old Manchester resident, expressed that the government should have better protected people.

"There's an atmosphere in the air," he told Reuters while walking toward the city center, "and everything feels a little bit shaky."