Manchester Synagogue Attacker Was on Bail for Alleged Rape During Time of Incident

The suspect who carried out the deadly attack at a Manchester synagogue had been released on police bail related to an accusation of sexual assault at the time, as per available information.

Jihad al-Shamie, aged 35, was being probed over an alleged sex crime that reportedly occurred earlier this year.

Al-Shamie, who was born in Syria, is also thought to have a record of criminal offenses, though he was not being monitored from anti-terror authorities.

Shamie was fatally shot by responding police following the murder of a member of the Jewish community and caused serious harm to multiple other individuals during the attack at the Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester's northern area on Thursday.

Two individuals, Adrian Daulby, 53 and Melvin Cravitz, 66, lost their lives during the incident. One victim was fatally hit a bullet fired by armed police targeting Shamie.

Anti-terror units and security services are currently investigating the assailant's history, as it is believed that he selected the holiest day in Judaism, the most sacred day in the Jewish year, to attack those praying.

Although Shamie was not known to counter-terrorism agencies or referred to the anti-radicalisation scheme Prevent, he had faced prosecution for criminal offenses.

The exact timing the alleged sexual assault took place, but Shamie had been bailed while being investigated by local law enforcement.

An insider stated that he possessed other prior offenses, though for minor infractions unrelated to terrorism.

“No one suspected him of terrorism but he certainly possessed a criminal record, though nothing to suggest he was going to do anything like this,” an informant remarked.

Authorities are looking into whether the attacker was behind a threatening message to a former Conservative MP in 2012.

A message to John Howell was sent by someone identifying as “Jihad Alshamie” and stated, “It is people like you who deserve to die.”

Howell, who left his position as Henley's representative in 2024, expressed uncertainty if it was the same person and believed that police had not taken the death threat with adequate seriousness at the time.

Media coverage from 2012 indicated that Howell may have been singled out 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 said in 2012, in reports by the Jerusalem Post.

“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 unstable enough, with a warped perspective of life, to make an attempt to carry this out.” He noted that Thames Valley police had provided him with “extremely good security advice.”

Law enforcement have not confirmed whether the “Jihad Alshamie” who messaged the former MP is the identical person who carried out the assault on the synagogue, but they are exploring a potential connection.

Shabana Mahmood, Shabana Mahmood, said that Shamie was not under ongoing scrutiny by counter-terrorism police or security agencies at the time of the attack. They had no reason to think he had previously been on their watchlist, though inquiries were continuing.