Two individuals losing their lives in an assault on a religious center in Manchester have been named by authorities as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, aged 66.
Three others continue receiving medical care with severe trauma after the attacker rammed a car into individuals before using a bladed weapon on the morning of the incident.
The assault, which law enforcement has confirmed was a terrorist incident, occurred on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish faith.
The assailant, who was shot dead at the site, was a 35-year-old UK national of Syrian heritage who was not on record to terrorism investigators, as stated by official statements.
Public Reaction
"Right now our hearts are shattered," the UK's Chief Rabbi stated.
In an interview with a prominent media outlet, he said: "Yesterday's events was a devastating impact to us, something which we had been concerned about might happen because of the build up."
The attack was not only "a very dark time" for Jews in Britain "but for everyone in our country," he added.
Security Measures
"The government's duty is to make sure our Jewish community, our people can live their lives with protection and peace of mind," the Home Secretary announced.
"It is unacceptable that the Jewish community in our country to believe they must live a limited religious practice, that they cannot conduct their affairs and practice their faith and visit their worship places in liberty," she stated.
The perpetrator was not recognized to counter-terrorism police, she told broadcasters, and it was "too early" to say if there was a terrorist cell behind the attack.
Police Inquiry
The law enforcement inquiry was "moving forward quickly" and there was an additional law enforcement visibility at Jewish worship centers across the UK.
"The government does provide safety resources," the representative commented, adding: "I think we will have to consider what more we can do to address rising antisemitism."
Law enforcement officials announced they were providing help to loved ones of the two men killed.
"My deepest sympathies are with the families of the victims at this extremely hard time," the lead investigator declared.
He confirmed that specialized support personnel were in touch with relatives and would provide ongoing help through the coronial process.
"While protocols must be followed which must be followed, we promise to be considerate of religious traditions and concerns and to making certain that the victims and their families' preferences are followed," he continued, mentioning that the deceased individuals were from Crumpsall.
Post-mortems are being conducted on Friday, as confirmed by government statements.
