THE man behind the deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue has been identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent. He was shot dead by armed officers just minutes after launching his assault on Thursday (2) morning, in which two worshippers were killed and several others injured.
Al-Shamie, who lived in Prestwich, is believed to have entered the UK as a small child with his family. He became a naturalised British citizen in 2006, when he was about 16. Although police are investigating possible links, he was not previously known to the security services or referred to the government’s Prevent programme.
Neighbours in Prestwich described him as a quiet man who kept largely to himself. Some recalled him lifting weights in his garden or working out on benches, often switching between western clothes and traditional Syrian dress.
One local resident said: “He was just a straightforward, ordinary lad. Nothing would stand out to make you think he was.” Others said he rarely spoke to people in the street, though he was sometimes seen walking in pyjamas and sandals.
Police raided a house in Langley Crescent, believed to be the family home, hours after the attack. Neighbours said the Al-Shamie family had lived in the area for about 15 years and were thought of as “nice people”.
His father, Faraj Al-Shamie, issued a statement on behalf of the family in the UK and abroad. He condemned the synagogue attack as a “heinous act” and said it had come as a “profound shock”.
The family “fully distanced” themselves from Al-Shamie's actions and expressed their “deep sorrow” for the victims. “Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort,” the statement said.
Despite his violent end, there has been little evidence so far of Al-Shamie being part of any wider extremist network. The Syrian British Consortium, along with other community organisations, said nobody in their networks recognised him or recalled meeting him.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood also noted that his name, Jihad, was unusual, and said she had never personally come across someone with that name before.
According to media reports, he led a largely private life in a quiet Manchester suburb, sometimes working as a tutor teaching English and computer programming.
As flowers and tributes gather outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, the investigation into Al-Shamie’s background continues, with police and intelligence agencies working to understand whether he acted alone or had support.
