Manchester Jewish House of Worship Attack Victims Named

Two men killed in an assault on a synagogue in Manchester have been named by authorities as Adrian Daulby, aged 53, and Melvin Cravitz, aged 66.

Three additional individuals remain in hospital with serious injuries after the assailant rammed a car into people before stabbing others on Thursday morning.

The attack, which law enforcement has confirmed was a act of terrorism, occurred on the Day of Atonement, the most important observance in the Jewish religious calendar.

The assailant, who was killed by police at the site, was a thirty-five-year-old British citizen of Syrian background who was not previously known to terrorism investigators, as stated by official statements.

Public Reaction

"We are devastated," Britain's senior Jewish leader stated.

Speaking to a prominent media outlet, he said: "The tragic incident was a devastating impact to us, something which we had been concerned about might happen because of the preceding circumstances."

The attack was not only "an extremely difficult period" for Jewish citizens nationwide "but for everyone in our country," he continued.

Security Measures

"Our responsibility is to guarantee our Jewish community, our residents can live their lives with protection and peace of mind," a cabinet minister announced.

"We cannot allow Jewish people in our country to feel like they have to live a reduced Jewish identity, that they cannot pursue their activities and practice their faith and go to their communal institutions in freedom," she added.

The attacker was not known to counter-terrorism police, she told broadcasters, and it was "premature" to say if there was a terror network behind the attack.

Police Inquiry

The criminal probe was "moving forward quickly" and there was an increased police presence at synagogues across the UK.

"Authorities allocate safety resources," the representative said, adding: "We must evaluate what more we can do to combat rising antisemitism."

Law enforcement officials announced they were supporting the families of the two deceased individuals.

"My deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims at this extremely hard time," the lead investigator expressed.

He confirmed that specialized support personnel were in communication with families and would provide ongoing help through the coronial process.

"Although procedures exist which require adherence, we promise to be considerate of cultural preferences and concerns and to making certain that the deceased and their loved ones' wishes are respected," he continued, noting that the both victims were from the local area.

Post-mortems are scheduled on the next day, per official sources.