Synagogue terror attack: West Mercia Police 'monitoring the situation' after people killed in Manchester
Shropshire’s police force says it is engaging with communities and offering reassurance following a suspected terrorist attack in Manchester.
Two people died in the attack and another man was fatally shot by armed police after a car was driven at pedestrians and a person was stabbed on what was the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
It unfolded outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall yesterday morning (Thursday).
Police are treating the attack as a terror incident. West Mercia Police released a statement regarding the incident this morning.
Chief Superintendent Edd Williams said: "Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the tragic events in Manchester yesterday. We will continue to engage with all communities across the three counties we serve to provide reassurance and support where it’s needed.
"We are fully engaged with both regional and national partners to actively monitor the situation. The public can help by sharing any concerns or suspicious activity through the tell us about function at West Mercia Police."
A person who died in the attack suffered a gunshot wound as armed officers attempted to shoot the killer, Greater Manchester Police has said.
Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson said the only shots fired outside the synagogue were by armed police as terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie did not have a firearm.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, died after Al-Shamie drove into a group of people before stabbing a man. Three people remain in hospital with serious injuries after the attack.
Mark Michaels, a former chair of South Shropshire Interfaith Forum and a member of the Shrewsbury Interfaith Forum and the Mid Wales and Border Jewish Group, spoke yesterday of his sadness at the attack.
Mr Michaels, from Montgomery in Powys, was at a synagogue in Cardiff to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
He said: "It is ghastly and resonates right through the Jewish community."
