January 1, Terror Attack at UK Synagogue Shocks Nation

Wyatt’s Take

• A synagogue in Manchester was attacked on Yom Kippur.
• Two people died, four were injured, and the suspect is dead.
• Police declared this a terror incident and made two more arrests.

On the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, a man drove his vehicle into people outside a synagogue in Manchester, killing two and wounding four. Police say they shot the attacker dead just minutes after the incident began.

“We can confirm that two members of our Jewish community have sadly died as a result of this attack,” said Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson.

The attack took place at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. The suspect was wearing what looked like an explosive vest and used a knife on members of the public.

Authorities labeled the rampage a terrorist act and officers arrested two others connected to the attack. Bomb disposal teams were called in over concerns about what the suspect was wearing.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the event “horrific,” especially because it happened on Yom Kippur. King Charles III also said he and Queen Camilla were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the news.

The police say that worshippers managed to keep the suspect from getting into the synagogue itself. The investigation is now being run by the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism team.

“That such an act of violence should be perpetrated on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, in a place of prayer and community, is abhorrent and deeply distressing,” said the Israeli Embassy in London.

Read the full report here.

Wyatt Matters

This kind of violence shakes everyone, especially in places meant for peace and worship. Middle America knows how much faith and community matter, and attacks like this remind us to stay alert and support our neighbors when hard times hit.