A shocking attack took place on Thursday morning outside a synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, in northern England. The assault happened during Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, leaving three people dead, including the suspected attacker, and several others seriously injured.
The incident began shortly after 9:30 a.m. local time, when a car drove into people near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. Witnesses reported that the driver then left the vehicle and carried out a stabbing attack, wounding a security guard and others nearby. Armed police responded within minutes and shot the suspect.
Emergency service workers at the scene of a stabbing incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Concerns quickly escalated when “suspicious items” were found on the attacker’s body, raising fears that he might have been carrying explosives. Bomb disposal teams carried out a controlled explosion, and the area around the synagogue has been placed under tight security. Several hospitals in Greater Manchester were temporarily locked down as a precaution, and health authorities asked the public to use emergency departments only in life-threatening cases, to allow doctors to treat the injured. The wider area was cordoned off, and the incident was treated as a suspected terrorist attack under Britain’s emergency response protocol.
The British government reacted swiftly. Prime Minister Keir Starmer cut short his trip to Denmark, where he was attending a European summit, to chair an emergency COBRA meeting in London, calling the events “absolutely shocking.” He announced that police patrols would be reinforced at synagogues and Jewish community sites across the United Kingdom. Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham, stressed that while the immediate danger appeared to have passed, the site remains under investigation. King Charles also expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy.
People react at the scene of a stabbing incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Community and faith groups across the UK strongly condemned the violence. Jewish organisations described it as a devastating blow to the community on its most sacred day. Muslim organisations also issued statements denouncing the attack and urging solidarity between communities. Local leaders in Manchester said the city “stands with its Jewish community at this darkest of moments.”
People react close to the scene of a stabbing incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
The investigation is still ongoing, as police continue their work. Arrests have taken place, related to the attack but the police will not confirm for now how many have arrested.
