Manchester Synagogue Attacker Was on Bail for Reported Sexual Assault During Time of Incident
The suspect responsible for the violent assault at a Jewish house of worship in Manchester had been released on bail from authorities related to an alleged rape at the time, as per reports.
Jihad al-Shamie, who was 35 years old, was being probed over an alleged sexual assault that is said to have happened earlier this year.
The attacker, who was born in Syria, is believed to have a record of criminal offenses, however he had not drawn attention from anti-terror authorities.
Shamie was killed by police gunfire by armed officers after he killed a member of the Jewish community and caused serious harm to multiple other individuals during the assault on the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester's northern area on Thursday.
Two men, 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died in the attack. One of them succumbed to a bullet fired by officers aimed at Shamie.
Anti-terror units and security services are working to uncover the assailant's history, as it is believed that he selected the holiest day in Judaism, the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, to target worshippers.
Even though the attacker was not known to counter-terrorism agencies or referred to the Prevent deradicalization program, he had been prosecuted for criminal offenses.
It remains unclear when the reported rape took place, but Shamie was on bail while being investigated by Greater Manchester police.
An insider indicated that he had additional criminal convictions, though for less serious crimes with no connection to terrorist activities.
“No one suspected him of terrorism but he certainly possessed a history of crime, though no indication he was going to do such an extreme act,” said one source.
Police are examining whether Shamie sent a death threat to a ex-Member of Parliament in 2012.
The email to the former MP came from someone calling themselves “Jihad Alshamie” and stated, “It is people like you who deserve to die.”
Howell, who stepped down as MP for Henley in 2024, said he was unsure if it was the same person and believed that authorities had not taken the death threat with adequate seriousness back then.
Media coverage from 2012 suggested that he was likely targeted due to his support for Israel.
“I don’t want to seem overdramatic, but you have to take seriously a threat when it says, ‘I would like to see you dead,’” the former MP remarked at the time, according to reports from media outlets.
“It is not just a question of me, it is my family and my staff. All it takes is one person out there who is unstable enough, with a distorted view of life, to make an attempt to act on it.” He noted that local police had provided him with “extremely good security advice.”
Police have not confirmed whether the “Jihad Alshamie” who contacted the former MP is the same individual who committed the synagogue attack, but they are investigating a possible link.
Shabana Mahmood, Shabana Mahmood, said that the attacker was not under ongoing scrutiny by anti-terror units or security agencies when the attack. They had no reason to think he had previously been on their watchlist, although investigations were still ongoing.
