A devastating vehicle ramming and stabbing incident occurred outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Manchester, northwest England, on Thursday, leaving two people dead and several injured. The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, a fact Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as making the event “all the more horrific.”
Witness footage, verified by The New York Times, captured the tense moments as armed police officers confronted the suspected attacker on the ground outside the synagogue, with a severely injured victim lying nearby. Officers were heard shouting, “He has a bomb, go away,” before firing at least one shot as the suspect attempted to rise. Police have not yet confirmed if the assailant was indeed carrying an explosive device, nor have they released the condition of the injured or the suspect.
Emergency personnel swiftly responded to the scene of the Manchester synagogue attack, as depicted in images from the area.
(Image: Emergency personnel at the scene of a stabbing outside a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday. Credit: Peter Byrne/Press Association, via Associated Press)
The incident began at 9:31 a.m. when Greater Manchester Police received reports of a car being driven towards pedestrians and a man being stabbed. Armed officers arrived quickly, with the suspect being shot just seven minutes later, at 9:38 a.m. Initial reports confirmed two fatalities among the public, and three injured individuals are currently in serious condition. The police later indicated a third person, believed to be the offender, was also shot and is thought to be dead, though this awaits full confirmation due to suspicious items around the individual.
The timing of the attack, during Yom Kippur services when synagogues are typically crowded, heightened the sense of shock and vulnerability. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham conveyed his deep concern for the city’s Jewish community, acknowledging the “rising incidents of antisemitism over recent times” and the increased anxiety felt by residents.
Following the attack, a large number of worshippers inside the synagogue were kept safe before being evacuated, and a bomb disposal unit was dispatched to thoroughly secure the area. In response to the national implications of the tragedy, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that additional police resources would be deployed to synagogues across the country to ensure the safety of the Jewish community. He cut short his visit to Copenhagen to chair a meeting of COBRA, a government committee dedicated to national emergencies.
Prayers, known as Shacharis, commenced at the synagogue at 9 a.m., just half an hour before the attack was reported, underscoring how quickly the day’s solemn observances turned to terror.
An interactive map provides a visual overview of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue and the immediate vicinity of the stabbing in Manchester, offering important geographical context to the events.
(Embedded Interactive: Location of Manchester synagogue stabbing)
Britain’s Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, expressed her horror at the attack and assured the public that she was receiving continuous updates from the police, extending her thoughts to the victims, emergency services, and the brave officers involved. The North West Ambulance Service confirmed it had declared a major incident and was actively managing the response at the scene.
(Video: Emergency services respond to the scene following the Manchester synagogue attack. Credit: Reuters)