Six Minutes of Terror: How Manchester Synagogue Attack Unfolded

Published: 03 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

The quiet Thursday morning in north Manchester was supposed to be one of solemn prayer and reflection. Worshippers had gathered early at Heaton Park synagogue, known locally as Heaton Park shul, for the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. Rabbi Daniel Walker, dressed in long white ceremonial robes, had begun to lead the special prayers. But within minutes, the calm atmosphere was replaced by screams and chaos as a terror attack unfolded in a matter of six horrifying minutes.

At around 9.30 in the morning, witnesses noticed a small black car being driven erratically towards the synagogue gates. Some assumed the driver had lost control or perhaps suffered a medical emergency. That assumption quickly vanished when the car crashed into the gates and the driver leapt out, dressed entirely in black, wielding a knife. Without hesitation, he began stabbing people standing nearby. Panic spread instantly as an elderly man collapsed near the synagogue entrance, bleeding heavily, while another lay motionless beneath the car bonnet.

Inside the synagogue, worshippers scrambled to barricade the doors as the attacker lunged at windows, trying to force his way in. Desperate prayers turned into desperate screams. “It was a rampage,” one witness later recalled, describing how the attacker slashed indiscriminately. The synagogue had not seen such terror in its long history.

By 9.31 am, Rabbi Walker’s white robes were already bloodstained, bearing witness to the violence at the gates. The situation escalated quickly, and police, alerted by frantic emergency calls, raced to the scene. Armed response units arrived within minutes. By 9.37 am, officers had engaged the knifeman, shooting him to the ground. To the horror of those nearby, as the assailant lay prone, observers noticed three white objects strapped to his waist. “He’s got a bomb!” someone shouted. Fear rippled through the crowd, and many pleaded with officers to end the threat immediately. When the man attempted to rise again, a police marksman fired a final shot that killed him.

Within just six minutes, two people were dead and at least four others critically injured. Greater Manchester Police declared a major incident almost immediately, triggering Operation Plato — the nationwide contingency plan for marauding terrorist attacks. The area was locked down, bomb disposal teams were summoned, and military reinforcements were rushed in from surrounding counties. Two “Blue Thunder” helicopters, used by special forces, were seen circling overhead as ambulances ferried the injured to local hospitals.

For residents of the quiet neighbourhood of Crumpsall, the sudden descent of violence was almost incomprehensible. Fran Barrie, a 75-year-old local resident whose flat overlooks the synagogue, recalled hearing a loud crash followed by a series of bangs. “At first I thought it was a car accident,” she explained, “but within minutes the street was filled with sirens and armed police.” She and her neighbours were ordered away from their windows and later evacuated as the bomb squad conducted three controlled explosions, including one on the attacker’s car. Each blast sent silence and dread through the cordoned streets.

For the Jewish community of Manchester, this attack struck at the heart of both faith and identity. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is traditionally marked by fasting, prayer, and reflection. Phones are often switched off, and many avoid travel. News of the violence, therefore, spread slowly at first. Families rushed to the synagogue in desperation, many dressed in pyjamas or household clothes, searching for loved ones. Outside the police cordon, volunteers handed out blankets and water to traumatised survivors.

Journalist Josh Aronson, a Manchester-based correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Maariv, had planned to attend the synagogue later that morning. Instead, he found himself reporting from within a terror zone in his own neighbourhood. “I’ve been in war zones and recognised the sound of gunfire instantly,” he said. “But I never thought I’d hear it here.” He later saw Rabbi Walker’s robe stained red. “I have no words,” he admitted. “I’ve covered these kinds of attacks abroad, but to see it happen to my own community is shocking.”

The suspect was later identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent. Police confirmed that three others — two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s — were arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorism. The attack was swiftly categorised as an act of terror. Security forces also surrounded a nearby house, taking at least one man into custody as part of their wider investigation.

The shock was compounded by the fact that Heaton Park shul lies in one of the most historic and diverse Jewish communities in Britain, its roots stretching back to the 18th century. The synagogue also borders Cheetham Hill, an area with a large Muslim population. Relations have generally been peaceful, but recent tensions over the conflict in Gaza have heightened anxieties. Just months earlier, antisemitic graffiti had appeared across Manchester, and red paint was splashed on buildings linked to Israel. The Community Security Trust, which tracks anti-Jewish hate, recorded over 200 incidents in Greater Manchester during the first half of the year.

Community leaders fear this attack will be seen as part of that disturbing trend. Aronson described the assault as “a wake-up call” about the rise of antisemitism in Britain. “There’s so much hatred between Jews and non-Jews right now. There needs to be dialogue. Not everything happening in Israel has to define the Jewish faith here.”

Residents and survivors expressed shock and sorrow rather than anger. Barrie, who witnessed the aftermath, said simply: “You don’t do this in a civilised society. I’m feeling sad.” Her neighbour, 75-year-old Joyce Goldstone, added: “I was born Catholic and my husband is Jewish. We all have the same Ten Commandments, so why can’t we get along?”

By evening, the scale of the horror was still sinking in. Hospitals remained on high alert, synagogues across Manchester were given additional police protection, and bomb disposal teams confirmed that no explosives were found on the attacker, despite initial fears. But the memory of six minutes of terror on Yom Kippur would remain etched into the lives of Manchester’s Jewish community, raising urgent questions about safety, tolerance, and the growing threat of hate-fuelled violence in Britain.