Manchester Synagogue Attacker Was on Bail for Alleged Rape During Time of Incident
The individual who carried out the violent assault at a Jewish house of worship in Manchester was free on bail from authorities related to an accusation of sexual assault when the incident took place, according to available information.
The attacker, Jihad al-Shamie, aged 35, was under investigation for the reported sexual assault that reportedly occurred earlier this year.
The attacker, of Syrian origin, is believed to have a record of criminal offenses, though he had not drawn attention from counter-terrorism officials.
The assailant 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 attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in north Manchester on Thursday.
Two men, 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, died during the incident. One victim succumbed to a round discharged by officers aimed at the attacker.
Anti-terror units and security services are currently investigating the assailant's history, as it is believed that he chose Yom Kippur, the highest holy day in the Jewish year, to target worshippers.
Although the attacker had not been flagged to counter-terrorism agencies or enrolled in the Prevent deradicalization program, he had faced prosecution for prior crimes.
It remains unclear when the alleged sexual assault occurred, but Shamie had been bailed while being investigated by local law enforcement.
An insider stated that he had additional prior offenses, though for minor infractions with no connection to terrorist activities.
“No one suspected him of terrorism but he definitely had a history of crime, though no indication he was going to do anything like this,” said one source.
Police are looking into whether Shamie sent a threatening message to a former Conservative MP in 2012.
A message to the former MP came from someone identifying as “Jihad Alshamie” and said, “It is people like you who deserve to die.”
The former MP, who stepped down as MP for Henley in 2024, expressed uncertainty if it was the same person and felt that authorities had not taken the threat against his life seriously enough at the time.
A news report from 2012 suggested that he may have been singled out due to his support for Israel.
“The last thing I want to appear as is a drama queen, but you have to take seriously a threat when it says, ‘I would like to see you dead,’” the former MP said in 2012, 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 weird enough, with a warped perspective of life, to make an attempt to act on it.” He added that Thames Valley police had given him “highly effective security advice.”
Police have yet to verify whether the “Jihad Alshamie” who contacted the former MP is the identical person who carried out the synagogue attack, but they are investigating a possible link.
Shabana Mahmood, Shabana Mahmood, stated that Shamie was not under ongoing scrutiny by counter-terrorism police or intelligence services when the attack. They had no reason to think he had previously been on their watchlist, although inquiries were continuing.
