MANCHESTER, England: Two people were killed and three others wounded in a car-ramming and stabbing attack outside a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday, British police said, adding that the suspect was shot by officers and is believed to have died.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers were called shortly after 9.30 a.m. (0830 GMT) to the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall district after reports that a car had driven into pedestrians and a man had stabbed a security guard.
“A man believed to be the offender was shot by GMP Firearms Officers and is also believed to be deceased,” the force said on X.
Police said they could not immediately confirm the suspect’s death because of “suspicious items on his person”. A bomb disposal unit was deployed to the scene.
Police declared “Plato” – the national emergency protocol for a “marauding terror attack” – and said they were treating the incident as terrorism. Armed officers, fire crews and ambulances cordoned off the area, while a helicopter hovered overhead.
The three wounded victims were taken to the hospital and are in a serious condition, police said.
Video posted on social media showed armed officers pointing guns at a man lying on the ground outside the synagogue before a gunshot was heard. Another person was seen lying motionless with blood near their head, according to the Press Association news agency.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, cited by BBC Radio Manchester, said that the offender was believed to be dead, although authorities were awaiting confirmation. “A degree of reassurance can be given that it’s not a developing, ongoing incident,” he said.
The attack occurred as the Jewish community marked Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, when synagogues are typically crowded.
Dave Rich, of the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism in Britain, said Yom Kippur was “similar to Christmas Day for Christians, but is a day of solemnity and fasting rather than celebration.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer left a summit of European leaders in Copenhagen to return to the UK after the attack. “I’m appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall,” he wrote on X.
“The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.” He said extra police would be deployed to synagogues across the country.
I’m appalled by the attack at a synagogue in Crumpsall.
The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific.
My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency…
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 2, 2025
King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the incident. “We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the horrific attack in Manchester, especially on such a significant day for the Jewish community,” the king said in a statement.
The Israeli embassy in London called the attack “abhorrent and deeply distressing” in a post on social media.
Police said the rescue and recovery operation would continue until the suspicious items on the suspect were dealt with. “Public safety remains our priority,” GMP said.
