A man seriously injured during an antisemitic terror attack outside a synagogue on Yom Kippur in Manchester has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home, British media reported Tuesday.
Yoni Finlay, 38, was wounded by police gunfire while helping to block the doors of the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation as an attacker tried to force his way inside. He underwent a seven-hour surgery and was released earlier this week, Greater Manchester Police confirmed. Two other victims, including a synagogue security guard, remain hospitalized in stable condition.
The attack took place as worshippers gathered for the Jewish Day of Atonement. The assailant, identified as Jihad al-Shamie, rammed his vehicle into a group of people before attempting to storm the synagogue wielding a knife. Two men were killed—Melvyn Kravitz, 66, and Adrian Dalby, 53. Police said Dalby was accidentally shot by officers responding to the scene. Al-Shamie, who was wearing a fake explosive belt, was shot and killed seven minutes after police arrived.
In an interview with ITV’s Granada Reports, Finlay’s 15-year-old son, Uriel, described his father as “a complete hero" who had "saved so many lives” by holding the synagogue doors shut during the attack.
Uriel said he had been asleep at home when the incident began, but knew his father was at the synagogue. “I ran out the house, I didn't think about anything else and it was complete chaos, there were loads of ambulances, armed police going inside the shul every five minutes,” he said. "When all the victims of the shul came out, I realized my dad wasn't there."