Two men killed in an attack on a Jewish house of worship in Manchester have been identified by law enforcement as 53-year-old Adrian Daulby, and Melvin Cravitz, 66.
Three others are still hospitalized with serious injuries after the attacker drove a vehicle into people before attacking with a knife on the morning of the incident.
The attack, which law enforcement has confirmed was a terror-related event, occurred on Judaism's holiest day, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.
The attacker, who was fatally shot at the location, was a thirty-five-year-old UK national of Syrian heritage who was not on record to counter terrorism police, according to official statements.
Official Statements
"Our hearts are broken," Britain's senior Jewish leader declared.
During a conversation on a national radio program, he remarked: "What transpired yesterday was a terrible shock to us, something which we had been concerned about might happen because of the preceding circumstances."
The attack was not only "a very dark time" for Jewish citizens nationwide "but for everyone in our country," he added.
Official Reaction
"The government's duty is to ensure our Jewish population, our citizens can conduct their daily activities with security and assurance," a senior government official stated.
"It is unacceptable that Jewish citizens in our country to feel like they have to live a limited religious practice, that they cannot conduct their affairs and practice their faith and go to their communal institutions in without fear," she continued.
The attacker was not recognized to terrorism investigators, she stated to media outlets, and it was "premature" to say if there was a terror network behind the attack.
Police Inquiry
The law enforcement inquiry was "continuing at pace" and there was an enhanced security deployment at religious institutions across the UK.
"The government does provide security funding," the representative commented, adding: "We must evaluate what further actions we can take to deal with rising antisemitism."
Greater Manchester police confirmed they were assisting the relatives of the two victims.
"Our heartfelt condolences are with the families of the victims at this profoundly challenging moment," a senior police officer expressed.
He confirmed that specialized support personnel were in contact with them and would provide ongoing help through the official inquiries.
"Although procedures exist which need compliance, we promise to be considerate of religious traditions and concerns and to making certain that the deceased and their families' preferences are respected," he continued, stating that the deceased individuals were from the Manchester community.
Post-mortems are scheduled on the next day, according to government statements.
