Four people are being treated for injuries after a serious incident outside a synagogue in Crumpsall, Manchester, on Thursday morning.
Emergency services were called to Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, on Middleton Road, at 9.31am, following reports that a car had been driven towards members of the public and that a man had been stabbed.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said firearms officers were deployed within minutes, as further reports were received that a security guard had been attacked with a knife.
GMP declared PLATO — a response to a suspected terrorist incident — and a major incident at 9.37am.
In a statement, police confirmed that shots were fired by firearms officers at 9.38am, and that one man, believed to be the offender, had been shot.
Paramedics arrived on scene shortly after 9.40am and are currently treating four members of the public for injuries caused by both the vehicle and stab wounds.
Middleton Road has been closed between Brooklands Road and Crumpsall Lane, with police urging people to avoid the area while the incident is ongoing.
The North West Ambulance Service said multiple resources had been sent to the scene, with their priority being to ensure all those injured receive urgent medical attention.
The attack took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, a time of prayer, reflection, and fasting.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “appalled” by the attack, describing it as “all the more horrific” given its timing. He is returning early from a European leaders’ meeting to chair an emergency Cobra session.
“My thoughts are with the loved ones of all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services and all the first responders,” he said in a statement on social media.
Police remain at the scene and investigations are ongoing.
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