Manchester synagogue terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie pumped iron and wore pyjamas all day, neighbours have said. Details continue to emerge about Al-Shamie, 35, who was shot dead by police after his evil attack on Jewish worshippers at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on Thursday.
The killer was on bail for an alleged rape at the time of the fatal attack, during which he was heard to shout: “This is what they get for killing our children.” A neighbour of Al-Shamie said they would see him walking about in his pyjamas and sandals.
The neighbour told the Daily Telegraph: “He was quite bulked up and used to keep his exercise weights in his garage.”
A bankrupt and convicted criminal, Al-Shamie is understood to have lived in Langley Crescent in Prestwich, Greater Manchester. Neighbours told the media he would often frustrate them by not parking his Kia properly.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said Al-Shamie wasn’t known to counter-terrorism police, but confirmed he was a UK national of Syrian descent who came to Britain as a child and was granted British citizenship as a minor in 2006.
Ms Mahmood also said she was surprised at his name. Jihad means “struggle” and Al-Shamie translates from Arabic into English as “the Syrian”.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed in the attack. Police said Mr Daulby was accidentally shot by an officer as worshippers tried to stop Al-Shamie entering the building by barricading a door shut. Police said it was a “tragic and unforeseen consequence” of the response to the attack. Mr Daulby’s family said in a statement that he “was a hero” whose “final act was one of profound courage”.
Al-Shamie’s trauma surgeon dad, Faraj Al-Shamie, worked for a number of NGOs in war zones, including South Sudan. A post on Facebook apparently from the attacker’s family said: “The news from Manchester regarding the terrorist attack targeting a Jewish synagogue has been a profound shock to us.
“The Al-Shamie family in the UK and abroad strongly condemns this heinous act, which targeted peaceful, innocent civilians. We fully distance ourselves from this attack and express our deep shock and sorrow over what has happened. Our hearts and thoughts are with the victims and their families, and we pray for their strength and comfort.
“We kindly request that all media outlets respect the family’s privacy during this very difficult time and refrain from using this tragic event in any context that does not reflect the truth. May God have mercy on the innocent victims, and we pray for the swift recovery of the injured.”
Neighbours of the killer said Al-Shamie had lived in their street since around 2021. One neighbour remembered a baby also living at the address but couldn’t recall seeing a woman living there.
One woman said: “We used to see him out in the garden working out, doing weights, press-ups. He used to change his clothes. One day he would be wearing the full gown, to the floor, and the next jeans and pyjama bottoms.”
ITV News said Al-Shamie is understood to have worked as a tutor teaching English and computer programming.
Geoff Haliwell, 72, who lives near Al-Shamie’s home, said the property used to be on his window cleaning round.
Mr Haliwell said he believed the Al-Shamie family had lived at the address for around 20 years including his mother, father and brothers.
He said the father lived there for five or six years then left the home but would visit in a car with French number plates.
The neighbour said Jihad Al-Shamie would sometimes wear western clothes and other times “traditional” Syrian dress. He also said Jihad Al-Shamie would use benches to work out.
He added: “I would see him at least once or twice a week, we just said ‘hello’. I didn’t even know his name. He was just a straightforward, ordinary lad, nothing would stand out to make you think he was…”