Khaberni - The British police said they may have accidentally shot at two people, one of whom was killed during their attempt to control the site after an attack on a Jewish synagogue.
In the attack that took place yesterday, Thursday, two men, Adrian Dolby (53 years old) and Melvin Kravitz (66 years old), were killed when a British man of Syrian descent ran over a group of pedestrians with his car and then began stabbing several people outside Heaton Park Jewish Synagogue in Manchester, northern England.
Steve Watson, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, stated that the attacker, who was killed by police officers, was not found with a firearm. However, one of the deceased was a victim of a gunshot.
He added in a statement: "Therefore, that injury may have resulted from tragic and unforeseen consequences of my officers acting with the urgency required to stop this heinous attack."
The attacker wore a belt that appeared to be explosive, but the police later confirmed that the belt was not capable of causing an explosion.
Commitments
Watson mentioned that another individual is believed to have been injured by a gunshot, but it was not life-threatening. It is believed that this person and the deceased were close to each other behind the synagogue door as its visitors tried to prevent the attacker from entering.
The police announced that the attacker was Jihad Al-Shami, a 35-year-old British man of Syrian origin, and said they found no information in the records showing that he was referred to a government program for countering extremism.
In a statement on "Facebook," Al-Shami's family said they were deeply shocked and wanted to distance themselves from what they described as a heinous act.
The British government pledged today, Friday, to double its efforts to combat anti-Semitism, at a time when the Jewish community is still in shock from the Manchester attack.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited the site of the attack and spoke to police and ambulance service personnel, praising the "degree of professionalism and speed" they showed in their response to the incident.
The British Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, criticized pro-Palestinian protests that took place hours after the Manchester attack, describing them as inconsistent with the British spirit and shameful.
She also urged people to show more "humanity and some love for a community in mourning."
The police increased their presence at the site of the attack this morning, Friday, where debris was scattered on the street and flower branches were spread in nearby areas in sympathy with the victims of the attack.
