‘He Used to Bench Press in the Garden’: Neighbour Describes Moment Armed Police Raided Home of Manchester Synagogue Attacker
Prestwich, Manchester – A neighbour has spoken of the dramatic moment a quiet residential street was swarmed by dozens of armed counter-terror police, who swooped on a house believed to be the home of Manchester synagogue attacker Jihad Al-Shamie.
Officers descended on Langley Crescent, a small pedestrianised street in Prestwich, at around 4:40 PM on Thursday, October 2nd. The major police operation came just hours after a fatal attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, which left two innocent men dead and three others seriously injured.
Counter-terror police have tonight named 35-year-old Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, as the individual they believe was responsible for the morning’s atrocity.
Neighbour Simon Barlass, 56, watched the raid unfold from his window. He said the first sign of trouble was the arrival of six unmarked police cars and a police minibus on Langley Hall Road, which connects to the crescent.
Just 10 to 15 minutes later, the situation escalated dramatically.
“Around 25 armed officers arrived”, Mr. Barlass said. “They were all in jeans, helmets-up, goggles, body armour, the works. Two of them were carrying shields with ‘police’ on them. One had a chainsaw”.
He described seeing the heavily armed unit surround a house on Langley Crescent where he claims Al-Shamie lived with a family member.
“They were at the back and at the front”, he recalled. “I couldn’t see the front door, but I could see the side door”.
Mr. Barlass said the armed officers later withdrew, replaced by a significant presence of uniformed and plain-clothed officers who were seen moving in and out of the property, carrying boxes.
Counter-terror police have confirmed the raid is directly linked to the investigation into the synagogue attack. While three other arrests have been made in connection with the incident – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – Mr. Barlass said he did not witness anyone being detained at the Langley Crescent address.
Mr. Barlass, who used to live in the raided property himself before moving in 1993, said he recognised Al-Shamie as a local resident.
“The guy who’s been shot, he lived there”, he said, referring to Al-Shamie. “I didn’t know his name, but he used to bench press in the garden and he’d go over and use the shops over the road and come back”.
In a chilling revelation, Mr. Barlass also claimed he had repeatedly seen a car, which he now believes was the vehicle used in the attack, parked near the house in the days leading up to the tragedy.
“I passed it about three days ago”, he stated. “I’ve seen the video that’s going about and I’ve seen it. I saw it last Friday, last Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and yesterday”.
The police presence remains in the area as the investigation continues.
Officers descended on Langley Crescent, a small pedestrianised street in Prestwich, at around 4:40 PM on Thursday, October 2nd. The major police operation came just hours after a fatal attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Crumpsall, which left two innocent men dead and three others seriously injured.
Counter-terror police have tonight named 35-year-old Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, as the individual they believe was responsible for the morning’s atrocity.
Neighbour Simon Barlass, 56, watched the raid unfold from his window. He said the first sign of trouble was the arrival of six unmarked police cars and a police minibus on Langley Hall Road, which connects to the crescent.
Just 10 to 15 minutes later, the situation escalated dramatically.
“Around 25 armed officers arrived”, Mr. Barlass said. “They were all in jeans, helmets-up, goggles, body armour, the works. Two of them were carrying shields with ‘police’ on them. One had a chainsaw”.
He described seeing the heavily armed unit surround a house on Langley Crescent where he claims Al-Shamie lived with a family member.
“They were at the back and at the front”, he recalled. “I couldn’t see the front door, but I could see the side door”.
Mr. Barlass said the armed officers later withdrew, replaced by a significant presence of uniformed and plain-clothed officers who were seen moving in and out of the property, carrying boxes.
Counter-terror police have confirmed the raid is directly linked to the investigation into the synagogue attack. While three other arrests have been made in connection with the incident – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – Mr. Barlass said he did not witness anyone being detained at the Langley Crescent address.
Mr. Barlass, who used to live in the raided property himself before moving in 1993, said he recognised Al-Shamie as a local resident.
“The guy who’s been shot, he lived there”, he said, referring to Al-Shamie. “I didn’t know his name, but he used to bench press in the garden and he’d go over and use the shops over the road and come back”.
In a chilling revelation, Mr. Barlass also claimed he had repeatedly seen a car, which he now believes was the vehicle used in the attack, parked near the house in the days leading up to the tragedy.
“I passed it about three days ago”, he stated. “I’ve seen the video that’s going about and I’ve seen it. I saw it last Friday, last Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and yesterday”.
The police presence remains in the area as the investigation continues.
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