Manchester police on Friday identified the two men killed in Thursday’s jihadist terror attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.
The victims were named as Melvin Cravitz, 66, and Adrian Daulby, 53, both residents of Crumpsall. Authorities said the attacker, Syrian-born Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, drove into worshippers gathered outside the synagogue before being shot dead by armed police.
Remembering the Victims
Relatives of Mr. Cravitz described him as a “gentle giant” who “would never harm a fly.” His cousin, Phil Bentley, said the tragedy was compounded by the fact that Mr. Cravitz would not normally have been at synagogue at that hour.
“He didn’t deserve this. Nobody deserves this,” added Bentley’s wife, Evayne, noting the “massive impact” the attack will have on Manchester’s Jewish community.
Neighbour and friend Hindi Cohen remembered him as a “lovely man with a great sense of humour” who treated her children like family, calling himself “Uncle Melvin.”
Mr. Daulby was also warmly remembered. Neighbour Abdul Rahimi, who lived next to him for two decades, called him “one of the best guys I’ve ever seen in my life,” adding that he was a generous man who often bought toys and books for children on their street. “He was a very, very good man,” Rahimi said.
Chaos at the Scene
Eyewitness video shared online showed police officers shooting the suspect inside the synagogue’s perimeter. In the footage, a Jewish man can be seen lying on the ground in a pool of blood as officers shouted warnings: “He has a bomb, go away!” Seconds later, gunfire rang out.
A bomb disposal unit was deployed, but police later confirmed the explosive device strapped to the attacker was not viable.
Rising Fears of Antisemitism
The attack comes amid record-high antisemitic incidents in the UK. The Community Security Trust, a British Jewish watchdog, reported over 1,500 incidents in the first half of this year—the second-highest six-month tally ever recorded, following last year’s peak after Hamas’s October 7 massacre in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Political and Global Response
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack, vowing to “defeat antisemitism in this country.”
Israeli leaders also denounced the violence. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced his recent United Nations address in which he criticized Western countries—including the UK—for recognizing a Palestinian state, linking the attack to broader threats against Jews worldwide.
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