The Manchester synagogue terrorist was identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old university dropout who had expressed interest in so-called Islamic State. Born in Syria, he was granted British citizenship in 2006 when he was around 16, having entered the UK as a young child.
Al-Shamie was reportedly on police bail accused of rape when he carried out the car and knife attack on Thursday. The terrorist had a string of criminal convictions and there is no record of him holding down a steady job, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Complex personal relationships
Al-Shamie claimed to be a devout father but reportedly cheated on his wife and married a second woman days after meeting her. The terrorist was married to two women at the same time and was reportedly a father of three, according to the Daily Mail.
Former friends described him as someone who played violent video games, sometimes for 12 hours a day, before dropping out of his media studies degree at Liverpool John Moores University after just one year. He had enrolled at the university in 2010 and also smoked cannabis, the Telegraph reported.
Extremist interests and abuse
One of Al-Shamie's ex-girlfriends told The Manchester Evening News that he did not disclose he was married with a family, and was violent and abusive towards her. She said he had expressed an interest in the so-called Islamic State and had shown her extreme videos.
He also warned her to be a more devout Muslim, the newspaper reported. Al-Shamie was also obsessed with messaging women on a Muslim dating app called Muzmatch, despite being married, according to the Daily Mail.
Recent background
Al-Shamie converted to Islam in 2018, the Telegraph reported. Neighbours said the terrorist moved to the Prestwich area of Greater Manchester in 2021, with one remembering a baby also living at the address.
Some said Al-Shamie used to lift weights and do press-ups in his garden and that he would change his clothes - sometimes wearing a full gown to the floor, and the next day jeans and pyjama bottoms.
Sources used: "Daily Telegraph", "Daily Mail", "Manchester Evening News" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
