Two Jews have been killed in a car ramming and stabbing attack on a synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish faith calendar. Police are treating the attack as an act of terror, and it occurred on Thursday morning when many were praying at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in north Manchester. Police were called at 09:31 BST to reports of a car travelling toward members of the public and a knifeman, and swiftly declared it a major incident before arriving within minutes and shooting dead the suspect at 09:38. Four people are still in hospital with serious injuries from both vehicle impact and stabbings.
Worshippers and security guards showed instant courage and prevented the attacker from gaining entry into the building, Greater Manchester Police added. Shah, a local resident, said she was driving down the street past the synagogue when she witnessed a car just kind of racing along and driving straight into members of the public, then noticed a man leap out and run at people with a knife. Another bystander, Gareth Tonge, who was driving his delivery van close to the area, reported for the BBC that he noticed a man bleeding on the floor and seconds later, police were there, issued the attacker with a few warnings, and then opened fire after he failed to comply.
Suspect Shot Dead After Refusing Police Warnings
Police announced Plato a few minutes after receiving news of the event, which is a series of emergency service responses to major incidents such as marauding terrorist attacks. The region was cordoned off while fire and ambulance personnel arrived in haste at the scene, where Jewish community members and the public in general converged nearby. Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said on the BBC that around 10:30, the initial threat seemed to have passed, but warned people away from the area as the police response was ongoing.
Police confirmed shortly after 15:15 that two Jewish individuals had been murdered while four others were in hospital receiving treatment for serious injuries. One man was stabbed and is thought to have been a security guard who attempted to safeguard individuals at the synagogue. The national counter-terror policing chief said in a press conference in New Scotland Yard that the attack had been formally classified as a terrorist incident. The horrific attack on the Jewish holy day was criticised by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who cut short a political summit in Denmark.
Police Are Aware of the Suspect’s Identity But Have Not Yet Confirmed It
Police think they are aware of the suspect’s identity but haven’t yet confirmed it for safety grounds at the scene, counter-terrorism policing head Laurence Taylor told a press conference on Thursday afternoon. Two more arrests have been made in relation to the attack. Greater Manchester Police chief Sir Stephen Watson said the attacker was wearing a vest that resembled an explosive device, and police were unable to initially verify whether the suspect had died because of safety concerns over suspicious items on his body. A bomb disposal team was requested at the scene to manage the suspicious items located on the body of the attacker.
Attack Occurred on the Holiest Day in the Jewish Calendar
Yom Kippur is the most religious of the holidays on the Jewish calendar and is a day of fasting and repentance that is believed to be the day when God seals the destiny of each individual for the next year. Work is prohibited because the day is reserved for prayer and contemplation, and most people who do not regularly go to synagogue services on this day because of it, so security is usually boosted. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer indicated that more police resources would be dispatched to synagogues nationwide following the attack and informed reporters that they will do all they can to make the Jewish community secure.
Rabbi Jonathan Romain of Maidenhead Synagogue said this is the worst nightmare for every Jewish individual because not only is today a holy day, the holiest on the Jewish calendar, but also a day of gathering en masse when the Jewish community, be they religious or otherwise, come together. King Charles III stated he and the Queen were profoundly shocked and saddened to hear of the brutal attack on Manchester, particularly on such an important day for the Jewish faith. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch informed the BBC it seemed like an outrageous assault on the Jewish community on their holiest day, terming it vile and disgusting.
FAQs
- What happened at the Manchester synagogue?
Two Jews died after a car ramming and stabbing attack at Manchester’s Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Thursday morning during Yom Kippur prayers.
- When did the Manchester synagogue attack occur?
The attack occurred at 09:31 BST on Thursday, October 2, 2025, during Yom Kippur, the most sacred day of the Jewish calendar.
- Who was the Manchester synagogue attacker?
Police confirm they know the identity of the gunman shot dead by armed officers, but refuse to say it for safety reasons, with two more arrests.
- How many victims died in the Manchester synagogue attack?
Two Jewish victims were murdered, and four others are still in the hospital with serious injuries from a vehicle impact and stabbing.
- Is the Manchester synagogue attack treated as terrorism?
Yes, the national counter-terror policing chief announced on Thursday afternoon that the Manchester synagogue attack was a terrorist attack.
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