Manchester Synagogue Assault Victims Named as Home Secretary Confirms Attacker Was Unknown to Police
The two men killed in yesterday's attack on a synagogue in the northern English city have been named as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, police have said.
Greater Manchester police stated formal identification is still pending but their relatives have been notified and family liaison officers are in contact.
Brief but Violent Terror Occurs
The men were lost their lives when an perpetrator used a car to crash through the grounds of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in north Manchester, then stabbed congregation members in a brief violent episode that only ended when armed officers fired upon him.
Additional individuals were critically wounded in the violent incident on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Hebrew year.
Attacker Named
Police identified the attacker on yesterday evening as the 35-year-old, 35, a British citizen of Middle Eastern origin.
Greater Manchester police disclosed that additional individuals – two males in their thirties and a woman in her 60s – had been detained “on suspected involvement of planning, organization and instigation of acts of terrorism”.
Official Comments
The interior minister has stated that the individual who perpetrated the violent incident in the region was unknown to the police.
“In terms of the perpetrator, this individual was unknown to the security services,” said Shabana Mahmood.
“The individual was obviously been shot dead at the location, but the official inquiry will now continue at pace.”
Autopsies of the deceased – each individual are from the local area – will take place during the day.
Heightened Protection Arrangements
MI5 and specialist units will operate at a heightened state of alert in the near future, reflecting concern that the recent violent incident may be replicated elsewhere.
Security presence at synagogues nationwide is to be enhanced.
Community Effects
Perceptions of safety in the UK's Jewish population have deteriorated significantly in the last couple of years, according to the most comprehensive survey of UK Jewish residents.
The research found thirty-five percent of Jews felt unsafe in Britain in 2025, compared with 9% in two years prior.
Updates will follow on the most recent information on this story as we receive them.
