Manchester Synagogue Attack on Yom Kippur Kills 2, Injures 4/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ An assailant drove into worshippers outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur before stabbing victims, killing two and wounding Four. Armed police shot the suspect, who was feared to have explosives. Authorities increased security nationwide as leaders condemned the attack and antisemitism concerns mounted.
Manchester Synagogue Attack Quick Looks
- Incident occurred Thursday morning at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall
- Attacker drove car into gates, exited, and began stabbing people
- Two people killed, Four injured, according to Greater Manchester Police
- Armed police shot suspect, bomb disposal team called over explosive concerns
- Video showed suspect on ground, bystanders warning he had a bomb
- PM Keir Starmer called attack “horrific”, deployed more police to UK synagogues
- King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed shock and condolences
- Rabbi Jonathan Romain: attack is “every Jewish person’s worst nightmare”
- Comes amid surge in UK antisemitic incidents since Israel-Hamas war
- Manchester previously saw UK’s deadliest attack in 2017 at Ariana Grande concert
Deep Look
Deadly Yom Kippur Attack in Manchester Raises Security Concerns Across the UK
MANCHESTER, England — A synagogue in northern England was the site of a violent attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, leaving two dead and Four others injured after an assailant used a car and knife against worshippers.
The incident unfolded around 9:30 a.m. Thursday when Greater Manchester Police received reports of a vehicle being driven into pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in the Crumpsall area. Witnesses said the attacker then exited the vehicle and began stabbing people, including a security guard at the gates.
Eyewitness Accounts
Local resident Chava Lewin said she initially mistook the loud crash for fireworks until her husband rushed inside shouting there had been a “terrorist attack.”
Another witness described the car careening into the synagogue gates before the driver emerged and lunged at anyone nearby.
“He went straight for the security guard and tried to break into the synagogue,” Lewin recounted.
Police Response and Suspect Neutralized
Within minutes, armed officers confronted the suspect. Social media footage showed police aiming weapons at a man lying on the pavement beneath a Star of David symbol on the synagogue’s exterior wall.
Bystanders shouted warnings that the suspect had a bomb and was reaching for a detonator. When he attempted to rise, officers opened fire, striking him. Authorities said the attacker was “believed to be dead,” but hesitated to confirm pending checks for explosives. A bomb disposal unit was deployed as a precaution.
Police initially reported four victims but later clarified the total at five casualties — two fatalities and three injured, with wounds from both the car impact and stabbings.
Officials invoked “Plato”, the national codeword signaling a suspected marauding terrorist attack, though the incident has not yet been formally declared terrorism.
National and Royal Condemnations
Prime Minister Keir Starmer cut short his attendance at a European summit in Copenhagen to return to London and convene the government’s emergency COBRA committee.
“The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific,” Starmer said on X, pledging increased security at synagogues nationwide.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla expressed their condolences, calling the incident “deeply shocking and saddening” and thanking first responders.
Jewish Leaders Alarmed
Rabbi Jonathan Romain of the Rabbinic Court of Great Britain said the assault underscored the vulnerability of Jewish communities during religious observances.
“This is every Rabbi’s and every Jewish person’s worst nightmare,” he said. “Not only is this the most sacred day in the Jewish year, it is also when the community gathers en masse.”
Rising Antisemitism in the UK
The attack comes against a backdrop of increasing antisemitic incidents across Britain. The Community Security Trust, a nonprofit monitoring antisemitism, reported over 1,500 incidents in the first half of 2025, the second-highest total ever recorded. The surge began following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Manchester’s Troubled Past with Terror
The city has faced devastating attacks before. In 2017, a suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena killed 22 people, marking the deadliest terror attack in Britain in recent years.
Thursday’s assault has reignited fears of extremist violence targeting religious minorities, with leaders stressing unity and resilience.
As investigations continue, Greater Manchester Police said officers remain deployed around synagogues and Jewish sites across the region to ensure community safety.
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