Authorities have stated that the individual suspected of carrying out last week’s fatal car and knife attack near a Manchester synagogue reportedly swore allegiance to the Islamic State.
Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British national of Syrian origin, is said to have telephoned emergency services to accept responsibility for the assault and subsequently declared his loyalty to the Islamic State.
Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts confirmed on Wednesday, “We have reviewed our systems thoroughly, and I can confirm that Al-Shamie was never referred to the Prevent program, nor was he previously known to us.”
The Prevent program is a UK government initiative designed to provide suitable interventions for individuals vulnerable to radicalization, preventing them from engaging in or supporting terrorism.
The Head of Counter Terrorism Policing disclosed on October 3 that, although Al-Shamie was unfamiliar to the counterterrorism unit, he was out on bail for a suspected rape charge at the time of the attack.
Potts indicated that law enforcement is now “more certain that he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology, with the 999 call contributing to this assessment.”
Although Potts cited the phone call as evidence of Al-Shamie’s motivation, he emphasized the necessity for authorities to examine all collected evidence to ascertain the full motive for the attack.
“This evaluation is ongoing, and additional underlying factors and motives may yet be uncovered,” Potts further stated.
Following the assault, during which he drove a vehicle into pedestrians and then assailed them with a knife, Al-Shamie was shot by officers outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. The assailant wore what seemed to be an explosive device, but Potts described it as a “hoax device,” which was subsequently evaluated and confirmed to be “non-viable.”
Two congregants, Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, lost their lives in the assault, which occurred on Yom Kippur.
Law enforcement later indicated that it was probable one of the two victims was inadvertently shot by officers attempting to halt the attack, given that Al-Shamie was not armed with a firearm. Daulby was identified as the victim who was shot.
Potts updated reporters on Wednesday, stating that three individuals wounded during the incident remain in hospital care.
In their investigation into whether Al-Shamie acted independently, police detained three men and three women on suspicion of “the commission, preparation, and instigation of acts of terrorism,” as reported.
The identities of those arrested have not been disclosed, nor have police revealed any potential connections they might have to Al-Shamie. The AP noted that on Saturday, a court granted police an additional five days to hold four of the suspects, while a man and a woman were released without charge.