Neighbours of Manchester synagogue attacker reported concerns to police

Neighbours of the Manchester synagogue attacker reported concerns to police about a member of his family being “radicalised” and trying to “preach” the Qur'an to local children, the Guardian has been told.

- Josh Halliday North of England editor

Police have said Jihad al-Shamie, 35, did not appear to be known to counter-terrorism officials before he attacked a Heaton Park synagogue, leading to the deaths of two worshippers on Yom Kippur.

However, people who knew the family said yesterday they had concerns about the apparently fanatical interest in Islam shown by the killer and another family member.

One neighbour said “everything changed” during the Covid pandemic when Shamie and his relative started wearing traditional Islamic dress, holding “private” gatherings in the garden and attempting to “preach the Qur'an” on their quiet suburban street in Prestwich, Manchester.

She told the Guardian: “They just started wearing all the robes and everything. I thought [Shamie's relative] was being radicalised because he wouldn't speak to us for a bit.

“He was coming up the road preaching to kids about the Qur'an. It was quite intimidating. It was intrusive.”