- A Home Office pathologist has provisionally determined that one of the deceased victims sustained a gunshot wound; the suspect had no firearm and all shots were fired by police.
- One hospitalized victim also has a non-life-threatening gunshot wound; both shot victims were believed to be behind the synagogue door during the attack.
- Counter Terrorism Policing leads the investigation; post-mortems and further forensic work are under way.
The head of the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) stated Friday that the fatal wound suffered by one victim in the Crumpsall synagogue terrorist incident may have been sustained as a tragic consequence of the emergency actions taken by police officers, according to a statement from Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson.
Sir Stephen issued an update following “urgent enquiries” into the previous day’s attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation on Middleton Road, stating that the only shots fired during the incident were from GMP’s Authorised Firearms Officers.
The update noted that police had taken advice from a Home Office Pathologist, who provisionally determined that one of the deceased victims suffered a wound “consistent with a gunshot injury.”
The suspect, identified as Jihad Al Shamie, is not believed to have possessed a firearm. This finding leads investigators to believe the injury was a result of police action intended to stop the offender from entering the synagogue and causing “further harm to our Jewish community.”
“It follows therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly 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,” Sir Stephen stated.
In addition to the fatality, police were advised by medical professionals that one of the three victims currently receiving hospital treatment also suffered a gunshot wound, which is described as non-life-threatening.
The police believe that both victims—the deceased and the injured individual—were close together behind the synagogue door as worshippers “acted bravely” to prevent the attacker from gaining entry.
The two victims who died in the incident were named earlier Friday in a statement from the Greater Manchester Police (GMP). They were identified as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, both members of the Jewish community from Crumpsall. While formal identification is still pending, the families of both men have been notified and are being supported by specially trained Family Liaison Officers.
Full post-mortem examinations were scheduled for later Friday. The Chief Constable concluded his statement by noting that specialist officers are providing support and care for all those directly affected by the incident, including families and first responders, as reported by the Greater Manchester Police website.
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