The arrest comes weeks after Syrian-born Jihad Al-Shamie, 35, carried out a violent attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue on Yom Kippur.
Al-Shamie slammed his vehicle into pedestrians before getting out and stabbing anyone nearby, according to witnesses. “The second he got out of the car he started stabbing anyone near him,” one witness said. “He went for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue.”
Two members of the congregation were killed in the attack: Melvin Cravitz, 66, who was stabbed, and Adrian Daulby, 53, who was accidentally shot by a responding officer as congregants barricaded the doors to keep Al-Shamie out. Three others were seriously injured, including at least one victim who police say was struck by gunfire during the chaos.
Al-Shamie was shot by police minutes after the rampage began and died at the scene. Greater Manchester Police say he had pledged allegiance to ISIS before the attack. He was brought to the United Kingdom as a child and became a British citizen in 2006.
Authorities have now arrested a total of six people in the wider investigation. Five were released without charge, while a 30-year-old man accused of failing to disclose information remains on bail. Police confirmed three others were taken into custody shortly after the attack as officers worked to determine whether Al-Shamie had assistance or ties to any active networks.
Rabbi Daniel Walker of the congregation said, “These were not simply members of our synagogue — they were our friends, our family — and their absence leaves a void that can never be filled.”
