Two worshippers were mistakenly struck by a ‘stray’ bullet fired from a police Glock pistol as firearms officers responded to the deadly Heaton Park Synagogue terror attack, a court was told today.
A marksman discharged four shots from the handgun as knife-wielding Islamic State supporter Jihad Al-Shamie attempted to force his way into the building on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, it emerged at an inquest hearing.
Tragically one ‘projectile or round’ missed Al-Shamie and struck both Adrian Daulby, 53, who was bravely helping to barricade the doors, causing fatal injuries, and also 39-year-old Yoni Finlay, who survived.
Al-Shamie – who was wearing a fake suicide belt, and rang 999 during his atrocity saying ‘I have killed two Jews in the name of Islamic State’ – had already knifed a second worshipper, Melvin Cravitz, 66, to death.
He was shot dead by firearms officers at the scene in north Manchester seven minutes after beginning his attack, with two other marksmen firing a total of six shots from their semi-automatic carbines.
After declaring the attack on October 2, 2025 a terrorist incident, Greater Manchester Police quickly announced that they believed one of the victims had been mistakenly killed by its officers.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) later said it had found no misconduct by the three armed officers who opened fire during the attack.
Ahead of next year’s inquests into Mr Daulby and Mr Cravitz’s deaths, Manchester Coroner’s Court was today given new information about the tragedy.
Melvin Cravitz, 66, from Crumpsall, was stabbed to death by Islamic State supporter Jihad Al-Shamie in the deadly attack
Adrian Daulby, 53, also died after being accidentally shot by police
Yoni Finlay, 39, was struck in the chest by the same ‘stray’ police bullet which went on to hit Adrian Daulby as they desperately tried to barricade the synagogue, but he survived
Ed Pleeth, counsel to the inquests, said a firearms officer anonymised as F42 fired his Glock pistol four times as he responded to the attack.
A firearms expert concluded that the first or possibly the second round ‘missed’ Al-Shamie and struck both Mr Daulby and Mr Finlay, who were standing just behind the door of the packed synagogue.
Along with hero Rabbi Daniel Walker and other members of the congregation, they were courageously barricading the doors as Al-Shamie tried to force entry.
Father-of-four Mr Finlay – who was standing in front of Mr Daulby – later described feeling ‘a very hard punch to his chest’ and realising ‘straight away’ that he had been shot.
Today Anthony Metzer KC, representing survivor Mr Finlay, said his client was ‘a direct victim and survivor of potentially fatal use of force by the state’.
Anna Morris KC, representing Mr Daulby’s family, said they wanted the inquest to examine whether ‘any failings in planning’ by police contributed to his death.
In addition it should address the ambulance response and ‘how quickly’ medical crews attended to Mr Daulby, she added.
Judge Alexia Durran, the Chief Coroner of England and Wales, today granted all three officers ‘interested person’ status, giving them a formal right to participate in the inquest process.
Today’s hearing has not been told what rounds killed Al Shamie.
It comes after a previous pre-inquest review last February which heard calls from lawyers representing survivors for a ‘full and fearless’ investigation into the atrocity.
The full inquest should examine information-sharing between the security services and police, they argued.
It should also look at the climate of ‘anti-Semitic propaganda and radicalisation’ and what measures were in place to protect synagogues over Yom Kippur.
Mr Pleeth previously said the inquest would include addressing Al-Shamie’s criminal record and history of radicalisation.
He was on bail for rape when he launched his atrocity.
The allegations against the university drop-out were made by two different women, one in December 2024 and the second just a month before the attack.
But Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood last year told MPs that Al-Shamie was never referred to the Prevent counter-extremism programme, and was not known to counter-terrorism policing or the security services.
IOPC probes are still examining prior contact between Greater Manchester Police and Al-Shamie, as well as the actions of the firearms officers.
Rabbi Daniel Walker (pictured right) leapt into action after the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue came under attack
Al-Shamie (pictured outside the synagogue) travelled to Britain with his family as a young child and was granted UK citizenship in 2006, when he would have been around 16
A separate inquest hearing will examine his killing.
The Islamic State supporter deliberately crashed his car outside the synagogue on October 2, 2025 and began knifing worshippers.
Police immediately declared the attack a suspected terrorist incident and armed police were scrambled to the scene.
Still armed with a knife, Al-Shamie – a Syrian-born UK citizen – charged at the officers who unleashed a series of rounds, killing the terrorist.
Speaking after his discharge from hospital, Mr Finlay told the Guardian how he was standing in front of Mr Daulby as they tried to keep the synagogue doors closed when he felt ‘a very hard punch to his chest’ and fell to the ground.
‘I knew straight away I’d been shot,’ he said.
Mr Finlay said he believed the police bullet which struck him in the chest exited through his back and hit Mr Daulby.
When inquests into Mr Daulby and Mr Cravitz were opened last year, Detective Chief Superintendent Lewis Hughes of Greater Manchester Police said the first shot was fired at Al-Shamie at 9.38am.
Fitness fanatic synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie was obsessed with clean living and watching foreign news bulletins
‘On arrival, the officers discharged several rounds at the suspected terrorist, Jihad Al-Shamie, as he ran towards them,’ Det Chf Superintendent Hughes said.
However he was not pronounced dead until 4.38pm due to concerns over his suspect explosive belt – which turned out to be fake.
A post-mortem gave his cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds.
The inquest opening heard how Al-Shamie got out of his Kia hatchback at about 9.30am and ‘immediately made stabbing motions’ toward Mr Cravitz to his ‘upper torso, neck and head area’.
He was later transferred to hospital by ambulance but pronounced dead at Manchester Royal Infirmary at 10.45am.
A post-mortem showed that Mr Cravitz died of multiple stab wounds.
Det Chf Superintendent Hughes told last year’s inquest opening that Mr Daulby had helped to hold the main door of the synagogue shut ‘for approximately two minutes’ as Al-Shamie attempted to gain entry.
Armed officers scrambled to the scene ‘fired several rounds’ after Al-Shamie had come ‘running towards them while carrying a knife’ and wearing an apparent suicide vest, Det Chf Superintendent Hughes said.
A single bullet penetrated the synagogue door and hit Mr Daulby in the chest and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.15am.
A post-mortem showed he had died of a single gunshot wound and the coroner recorded this as the provisional cause of death.
Following the attack, the family of Mr Cravitz described him as a ‘kind, caring’ person, who ‘would do anything to help anyone’.
He ‘always wanted to chat and get to know people,’ they said.
Mr Daulby’s family paid tribute to a ‘down to earth man whose final act was to save others’.
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