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Police will investigate whether the knife-wielding terrorist behind the UK synagogue attack previously sent death threats to a British politician over his position on Israel — as officials reveal they were astonished by his name.
Jihad Al Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen born in Syria, was shot dead by cops on Thursday just minutes after he plowed his car into pedestrians and went on a stabbing frenzy outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester on Yom Kippur.
As police probe his motives for the hate-filled attack, investigators will look at whether he’s also to blame for menacing emails a conservative politician, John Howell, received back in 2012 after he defended Israel’s right to protect itself, The Times reported.
One of the emails the politician received came from a “Jihad Alshamie” who told him: “It is people like you who deserve to die.”
The threatening note will reportedly form part of the probe into Thursday’s deadly attack.
It comes as British officials revealed they were surprised to learn his first name was Jihad — the term used to describe radical Islamists.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood admitted she’d never heard of someone with the name.
“But it is the name that he was born with — that has always been his name,” she said.
His surname translates into English as “the Syrian.”
Al-Shamie came to the UK as a young child and became a British citizen in 2006, authorities said.
Police said they are still probing his motive.
The suspect had donned what appeared to be a suicide vest when he tried to storm the synagogue as worshippers were inside on Thursday morning.
The explosive vest was later determined to be fake.
Manchester residents Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed in the attack.
One of the victims was struck by a police bullet as officers rushed to take down the suspect, authorities said.
