Two killed in Manchester synagogue terror attack on Yom Kippur

A Yom Kippur service at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation turned into a scene of chaos and terror Thursday evening when a man drove into worshippers gathered outside the synagogue before launching a stabbing attack. 

Two people were killed, three were seriously injured, and the suspect was fatally shot by police within minutes.

Greater Manchester Police confirmed the incident was being treated as a terrorist attack. Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson told reporters the man was “wearing what appeared to be a suicide vest” and was intercepted by armed officers just seven minutes after the first emergency call. Whether the vest was real remains unconfirmed.

The suspect’s attempt to storm the synagogue itself was thwarted. “Thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and worshippers inside, as well as the fast response of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access,” Watson said.

Videos circulating on social media show the moments of panic: officers shouting for bystanders to flee, a suspect collapsing after a volley of shots, and a worshipper bleeding on the ground. At one point, an officer can be heard yelling, “He has a bomb!” — a warning later echoed by frightened witnesses who believed they had seen the man attempting to trigger an explosive.

Specialist teams later used controlled measures on the suspect’s vehicle, sparking a “loud noise” that police reassured the public was precautionary.

Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, Britain’s counter-terrorism chief, said investigators believe they know the attacker’s identity. Two additional suspects have since been arrested. “This was an appalling act of terror,” Taylor said.

The timing of the assault, coinciding with Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, deepened the shock. Worshippers, some still fasting, were forced into fight-or-flight decisions at the synagogue gates.

International outrage followed swiftly. “The deliberate attack in Manchester against innocent worshippers at a synagogue on Yom Kippur is utterly appalling. Hate, antisemitism and violence have no place in our society,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added: “We must keep fighting antisemitism in all its forms.”

For Manchester’s Jewish community, the night’s horror left deep scars — and a lingering sense of vulnerability despite the swift actions of police. The synagogue, usually a place of solemn reflection on Yom Kippur, now stands as the site of one of Britain’s deadliest antisemitic attacks in recent memory.