Dressed in dark clothing with a fake suicide bomb tied around his waist, Jihad al-Shamie set out to strike terror into the Jewish community.
The terrorist drove from his nearby home in Langley Crescent, armed with a knife, heading towards the Heaton Park synagogue on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day.
Two men would die during the attack. Thankfully due to the quick thinking actions of those inside, namely hero Rabbi Daniel Walker, who barricaded the doors stopping his entry, many lives were saved.
His life in Langley Crescent
Al-Shamie, 35, is a British citizen of Syrian descent who came to this country as a small child.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood told press he became a British citizen in the mid-2000s.
His name did not appear in any records of Prevent, the UK government’s counter-terrorism programme, the government has confirmed.
A neighbour told The i Paper how they once received a parcel intended for the al-Shamie family by mistake.
“I took it to their door and a man in long robes and a hat answered,” the neighbour said. “He was quiet, mild-mannered.”
Neighbours believe al-Shamie’s father spent some time living in France in recent years as he would return in a car which had French number plates. Social media posts from the father seen by this paper appear to confirm this.
The property is believed to be owned by Bury council.
Jihad al-Shamie’s house (Photo: Steve Robson/The i Paper)A former tenant who moved out but still lives in the area said he would see al-Shamie working out in the front garden which faces onto the street.
The property is only two miles from Heaton Park Shul where al-Shamie carried out the attack.
It is understood al-Shamie went on to work as a tutor in Leeds offering English lessons.
Neighbours recognised the black Kia Picanto which al-Shamie rammed into the gates before attacking worshippers.
Others have told The Daily Telegraph the terrorist was into weightlifting and often seen wearing “traditional” Syrian dress.
Geoff Haliwell, 72, said al-Shamie’s home was on his window cleaning round and said: “I would see him at least once or twice a week, we just said ‘hello’.
There is a police cordon around the site (Photo: Steve Robson/The i Paper)“I didn’t even know his name. He was just a straightforward, ordinary lad.”
Records show al-Shamie lived with his brother for a time, something corroborated by Mr Haliwell who said he believed some of the al-Shamie family had lived there for around 20 years.
The Times has also reported that counterterror police are to investigate whether former Tory MP, John Howell, received threats from the attacker in 2012.
One of the letters Howell received was from someone called “Jihad Alshamie”, but it is unclear if any letters were from al-Shamie.
The assault is being treated as a terror attack, although so far little official information has been released surrounding al-Shamie’s motivation or whether he was acting in connection with terror groups, such as Isis. Three people, two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s, have been arrested in connection.
What does social media tell us?
While little in the way of verified social media has been found of al-Shamie, his father, Faraj, posted a statement onto Facebook offering prayers for the victims and distancing the family from their relative.
Jihad al-Shamie in a photo shared by his father last year (Photo: Faraj al-Shamie)“The news from Manchester regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound shock to us,” the online note read.
“The Al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians.”
It continued: “We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort.”
square NEWS Seven minutes of terror - how the Manchester synagogue attack was carried out
Read More
Signed from “The Al-Shamie Family, UK and Abroad” it concludes: “May God have mercy on the innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Faraj al-Shamie is an active user of Facebook and shared a photo of Jihad holding a newborn in October last year.
“Welcome grandson,” Faraj al-Shamie captioned the image as he shared it with friends. A flood of congratulatory messages were posted in reply, including one that said: “Congratulations, Abu Jihad.”
Faraj, a surgeon from Syria, also posted home videos to his YouTube channel. One video seen by The i Paper shows al-Shamie with two brothers playing in their English garden.
A young Jihad al-Shamie wearing a backwards baseball cap and brightly coloured print T-shirt can be seen picking up a cat and showing the pet proudly to the camera.
Hence then, the article about everything we know about synagogue terrorist shot dead by police was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Everything we know about synagogue terrorist shot dead by police )
Also on site :