A volunteer security guard, Ivor Rosenberg, has revealed new details about the shocking attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, which occurred during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. 

Rosenberg said he confronted the attacker, Jihad al Shamie (35), minutes before the violence erupted. Al Shamie appeared suspicious, telling conflicting stories about looking for his car and a pub. 

He described the moment the attacker rammed his car into the synagogue gate, smashed walls, and began striking doors and windows. Rosenberg ran inside, heard shouts of “we are under attack,” and joined with others to barricade the doors, using chairs, furniture, and bodies to hold the attacker out. 

He said he saw a bullet hole in the door, and later realized that two of his friends had been struck. One friend, Yoni, told him he was hit; Rosenberg cradled Yoni’s head and tried to tend to him. Moments later, he realized another man had been hit. The guard admitted it was terrifying and said for a moment he believed “we are all going to die.” 

Rosenberg praised those who held the doors and prevented Al Shamie from entering, calling them “heroes” of the community.