Manchester Synagogue Attacker Controlled Ex-Partner with ISIS Videos

Jihad Al-Shamie, the Manchester synagogue attacker, groomed a young woman into a controlling relationship where he forced her to watch extremist ISIS videos and pressured her to adopt radical views, including wearing a full niqab and dedicating herself to the cause. The woman, who met Al-Shamie via the Muslim dating app Muzmatch, described his behavior as abusive and said he expressed intentions to join ISIS, which horrified her, prompting her to leave the UK after their four-month relationship ended. Al-Shamie was also married previously and has a two-year-old child, though he and his wife were separated. Following the attack, an NHS mental health carer, a recent convert to Islam, was among those arrested by counter-terrorism police, highlighting broader concerns over radicalization. The attacker was shot dead by police after his vehicle and knife assault outside Manchester's Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, which resulted in two deaths and multiple injuries. Neighbors and acquaintances described Al-Shamie as having a troubled past with extremist tendencies and violent behavior prior to the attack.