Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, have been named as the victims of a Manchester terror attack during Yom Kippur (the day of Atonement).
In a statement, the Greater Manchester Police announced, “The two innocent members of our Jewish Community who sadly died as a result of the incident at Heaton Park Congregation Synagogue yesterday (Thursday 2 October 2025) have been named. Whilst formal identification is yet to take place, they are believed to be 53-year-old Adrian Daulby and 66-year-old Melvin Cravitz, both from Crumpsall.”
“Their families have been informed and Family Liaison Officers are in contact with them and offering support. Home Office post-mortems will take place later this morning.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes, who is coordinating the casualty response, said: “My deepest sympathies are with Mr Daulby and Mr Cravitz’s loved ones at this extremely hard time.”
“Specially trained Family Liaison Officers are in contact with them. They will continue to update them on the investigation and support them throughout the coronial process.
“Whilst there are processes which must be followed, we commit to being mindful of cultural preferences and sensitivities and to ensuring that these men and their loved ones’ wishes are respected.”
The combined vehicle-ramming and stabbing attack, which took place on the holiest day of the Jewish year outside a synagogue in Manchester, England, left three additional victims seriously injured.
Local police reported that the attacker, initially suspected of wearing a suicide belt, was shot dead by responding officers.
Eyewitnesses said they saw a car speeding toward a gathering outside the building. After ramming into people, the driver exited the vehicle and began stabbing those nearby before being neutralized. The bomb disposal unit was called to the scene, and the police confirmed it was a terrorist attack, noting that two individuals were arrested.
Earlier on Friday, UK counter-terrorism police identified the suspect behind Thursday’s terror attack on a Manchester synagogue as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent.
Authorities noted that “formal identification is yet to take place,” but confirmed their belief that Al-Shamie was responsible for the assault.
“We are now able to confirm that, although formal identification is yet to take place, we believe the person responsible for today’s attacks is 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie. He is a British citizen of Syrian descent,” police said in a statement quoted by CNN.