Jihad al-Shamie made the call claiming responsibility for the attack while officers were en-route to the scene, after the 35-year-old had driven at worshippers in his car outside Heaton Park Hebrew Synagogue
Counter Terrorism Police have revealed that he called 999 during the attack and said “I have killed two Jews in the name of the Islamic State”
He is now also believed to have had three wives in the UK, two of which were white Muslim converts
A spokesperson for Counter Terrorism Policing North West said that during the initial stages of his attack, he had made a call to officers to claim a pledge of allegiance to Islamic State.
The attacker was not previously known to counter terrorism police, but he did have a criminal history and had recently been arrested for rape before being released on bail it has also emerged
Counter Terrorism officers have arrested and interviewed six people at length.
Two of those individuals were released without charge on Sunday evening and the four remaining people will be released without charge today. This does not mean the investigation has concluded say police
Police have also confirmed that Jihad Al Shamie, was seen acting suspiciously outside the synagogue before he was confronted by security. This was not reported to police because the man walked away when challenged.
Around 15 minutes later, he returned to the scene in a black Kia vehicle and deliberately drove the car at innocent members of the public before colliding with a wall. He then stepped out of the vehicle armed with a knife and resumed his attack.
He had a second knife in his possession and was also wearing a hoax device on his person. This device has since been assessed and confirmed to be a non-viable device.
Minutes after the first call was made to GMP and as firearms officers were making their way to the scene, Al Shamie called 999 claiming responsibility for the attack. He also pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
The attack continued but thanks to the bravery of security staff, worshippers and the fast action of police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access to the synagogue.
Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz sadly died. Three other men remain in hospital with serious injuries.
Specially trained officers are in frequent contact with the families to provide support and update them on our progress.
Police say they have conducted assessments across our systems, and can reiterate that Al-Shamie had never been referred to the PREVENT programme, nor was otherwise known to Counter Terrorism Policing.
“However, at this stage of our investigation, we are more confident that he was influenced by extreme Islamist ideology, the 999 call forms part of this assessment.”
