At least two people were killed and three others left in critical condition after a car-ramming and stabbing attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, police and witnesses said.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that the suspected assailant was shot by officers but said they could not immediately confirm his death due to "suspicious items on his person." Bomb disposal units were called to the scene, and the synagogue was evacuated after worshippers were briefly held inside.
Witnesses said the attacker drove a vehicle into pedestrians before exiting and stabbing a security guard and others outside the synagogue. "The second he got out of the car he started stabbing anyone near him. He went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue," neighbor Chava Lewin told British media. "Someone barricaded the door. Everyone is in utter shock."
A video verified by Reuters showed officers shouting "He has a bomb, go away!" as they tried to keep onlookers away from the scene. Another clip verified by NBC News showed a man wearing a yarmulke lying in a pool of blood outside the synagogue while officers pointed weapons at the suspected attacker.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who was attending a European summit in Copenhagen, said he was returning to London to chair an emergency COBRA meeting. "The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific," Starmer said. "I'm already able to say that additional police assets are being deployed to synagogues across the country, and we will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe."
King Charles III and Queen Camilla said they were "deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the horrific attack in Manchester, especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community." The Israeli Embassy in London called the assault "abhorrent and deeply distressing."
Authorities praised quick action by congregants, saying a member of the public prevented the attacker from entering the building, potentially saving many lives. "We are grateful to the member of the public whose quick response to what they witnessed allowed our swift action, and as a result the offender was prevented from entering the synagogue," a police spokesperson said.
The Community Security Trust, a British Jewish charity that provides security services, said it was working with police and called it "an appalling attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year." Graham Stringer, the local Member of Parliament, said it was "a dreadful attack designed to damage the Jewish community and damage inter-faith and inter-community relationships."
