Manchester Synagogue Attacker Was on Bail for Reported Sexual Assault During Time of Incident

The suspect who carried out the deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue was free on police bail in connection with an alleged rape when the incident took place, according to available information.

Jihad al-Shamie, who was 35 years old, was under investigation over an alleged sexual assault that is said to have happened in recent months.

The attacker, of Syrian origin, is also thought to have a record of criminal offenses, however he was not being monitored from anti-terror authorities.

The assailant was fatally shot by armed officers following the murder of a member of the Jewish community and severely injured multiple other individuals during the attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in north Manchester last Thursday.

Two men, 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz, 66, lost their lives in the attack. One victim succumbed to a bullet fired by officers targeting the attacker.

Anti-terror units and security services are working to uncover the assailant's history, with indications that he chose Yom Kippur, the most sacred day in the Jewish year, to attack those praying.

Although Shamie had not been flagged to counter-terrorism agencies or referred to the Prevent deradicalization program, he had been prosecuted for prior crimes.

The exact timing the reported rape occurred, but the suspect had been bailed while under investigation by Greater Manchester police.

An insider indicated that he had additional criminal convictions, albeit for minor infractions with no connection to terrorism.

“He was on nobody’s radar for terrorism but he definitely had a criminal record, though nothing to suggest he was going to do anything like this,” an informant remarked.

Authorities are looking into whether Shamie sent a threatening message to a former Conservative MP in 2012.

The email to John Howell came from someone identifying as “Jihad Alshamie” and said, “It is people like you who deserve to die.”

The former MP, who left his position as MP for Henley in 2024, expressed uncertainty if it was the same person and believed that authorities did not treat the death threat seriously enough back then.

A news report from that year indicated that he was likely targeted due to his support for Israel.

“The last thing I want to appear as is a drama queen, but you have to take seriously a menacing message when it says, ‘I would like to see you dead,’” Howell remarked at the time, according to coverage from media outlets.

“It is not just a question of me, it is my family and my staff. All it takes is one person out there who is weird enough, with a distorted view of life, to make an attempt to carry this out.” He noted that Thames Valley police had given him “highly effective security advice.”

Police have not confirmed whether the “Jihad Alshamie” who contacted Howell is the same individual who committed the assault on the synagogue, but they are investigating a potential connection.

Shabana Mahmood, Shabana Mahmood, stated that the attacker was not under ongoing scrutiny by counter-terrorism police or intelligence services at the time of the incident. They had no reason to think he had ever been on their watchlist, though inquiries were still ongoing.