4 injured, suspect shot outside synagogue, police say

LONDON — Police said they had shot a man suspected in a stabbing and car-ramming that left four people injured Thursday at a synagogue in the northern English city of Manchester.

It came as the Jewish community observed Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Greater Manchester Police said in a series of posts on X that a major incident was declared after a member of the public reported that they had “witnessed a car being driven toward members of the public” and that one “man had been stabbed” near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, an area known for its large Jewish community.

Minutes later, police said a man “believed to be the offender” had been shot by officers.

“Paramedics arrived at the scene and are tending to members of the public, currently four members of the public with injuries caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds,” the force added.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of the Greater Manchester area, told BBC Radio the “immediate danger appears to be over.”

He said firearms officers were deployed “as police continued to receive further reports from members of the public that a security guard had been attacked with a knife.”

The Northwest Ambulance Service said in a statement that it was “assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services.”

“Our priority is to ensure people receive the medical help they need as quickly as possible,” it said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attack in a post on X.

“The fact that this has taken place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, makes it all the more horrific. My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders,” said Starmer, whose wife Victoria is Jewish.