The NFL on Sunday held a moment of silence for the victims of the synagogue stabbing attack that occurred in the Manchester, England, area on Yom Kippur before a game between the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns.
Two people were killed and three were seriously injured when an assailant rammed a car into people at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue and then attacked people with a knife. The attacker was shot and killed in what police called a terrorist attack.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) passes the ball as he warms-up before the NFL game between Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
The NFL game was being played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Fans dressed in either orange or purple to support the teams took off their hats and were briefly silent before “The Star-Spangled Banner” was played.
The deceased victims were identified as Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66 – both worshippers at the synagogue. Daulby was accidentally shot by an officer as worshippers tried to stop the attacker from entering the building by barricading the door shut, police said.
Daulby’s family hailed him as a “hero” whose “final act was one of profound courage.”
Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers runs onto the field for the warm-up ahead of the NFL game between Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)
Cravitz’s family described him as a “caring” family man.
“Melvin would do anything to help anyone. He was so kind, caring and always wanted to chat and get to know people,” their statement read.
The attacker was identified as Jihad Al-Shamie, 35. He was a British citizen of Syrian descent who came to the country as a child and became a citizen in 2006.
Police guard the scene of a stabbing incident at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue, in Crumpsall, Manchester, England, Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, following Thursday’s attack. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)
Police said Al-Shamie “may have been influenced by extreme Islamist ideology” but cautioned that building out the full picture of the attack is “likely to take some time.”
