Neighbours of Manchester Synagogue Attacker Say Concerns Were Raised with Police
Prestwich, Manchester – Neighbours of Jihad Shamie, the man who attacked a synagogue in Manchester last Thursday, say they reported concerns about changes in the family’s behavior to police, perhaps as early as 2020 or 2021. The attacker, armed with a knife, reportedly shouted “This is what you’re going to get for killing our children” during the attempted break-in before being shot dead by police.
The disclosures raise questions about the extent to which thes concerns were investigated prior to the attack. One neighbour described being invited to meals at the family home around 15 years ago, but said contact ceased after Shamie’s father, Faraj, moved out. The mother, Formoz, was remembered as a “strong woman” who largely raised their three sons alone.
Residents noted a marked shift in the family’s behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. One resident reported seeing a family member “rocking up in the robes,” a change from their previous lifestyle. They also described groups of individuals, described as ”followers” of Shamie and another family member, “congregating” in the family’s front garden, and noted the group lacked diversity. “They didn’t have any white friends. I thought: what the heck is going on? It wasn’t just praying in the garden – it was private and secret,” the neighbour stated.
Police are reported to have visited the family home earlier this year regarding safeguarding concerns. Shamie himself reportedly told a resident “a few months ago” that his partner had moved out and he was unaware of her current whereabouts.
Further complicating the picture, neighbours revealed Shamie suffered “brain damage” after falling off a cliff approximately 20 years ago, when he was a teenager, and was later “very quiet and reclusive.” “Jihad had a bad accident,” one neighbour said. “He fell off a cliff and got airlifted to London.He had massive head injuries… You didn’t see much of him after that.”
The guardian reported Friday that shamie was on police bail under investigation for an alleged rape at the time of the attack, which occurred approximately two miles from the family home.
Following the incident, Faraj al-Shamie released a statement condemning his son’s “heinous act,” stating the family “strongly condemns this heinous act” and fully distances itself from the attack. Greater Manchester Police have stated they believe shamie “may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology” and have been contacted for further comment.
