From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
The Manchester synagogue terrorist was a university dropout who expressed an interest in so-called Islamic State, reports have said.
Born in Syria, Jihad Al-Shamie was granted British citizenship in 2006 when he was around 16, having entered the UK as a young child.
The 35-year-old, who was on police bail accused of rape when he carried out the car and knife attack in Manchester on Thursday, claimed to be a devout father but cheated on his wife and married a second woman days after meeting her, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The newspaper said former friends of the terrorist 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, the newspaper reported.
Al-Shamie also smoked cannabis, the Telegraph reported.
According to the Daily Mail, the terrorist was also obsessed with messaging women on a Muslim dating app called Muzmatch, despite being married.
The newspaper said at one stage Al-Shamie was married to two women at the same time and was reportedly a father-of-three.
One of the attacker’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.
The Telegraph said Al-Shamie converted to Islam in 2018 and there is no record of him holding down a steady job.
The newspaper said he had a string of criminal convictions, as well as being on police bail accused of rape.
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.