A victim of the Manchester synagogue attack was fatally shot by a police bullet as he held the doors shut against the killer, an inquest heard.
Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were killed in the attack, carried out by Jihad Al-Shamie, on 2 October as they attended Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Crumpsall for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.
The inquests were opened and adjourned at Manchester Coroner’s Court by the chief coroner for England and Wales, Judge Alexia Durran.
The inquests heard from a senior police officer who confirmed Mr Cravitz was stabbed while Mr Daulby died from a gunshot wound to the chest fired by police.
Al-Shamie drove a car into a security guard before “immediately making stabbing motions” towards Mr Cravitz after getting out, the inquest heard.
An inquest into the death of Al-Shamie will be held separately and is due to open on Friday.
Rabbi Daniel Walker, who along with Mr Daulby held the synagogue doors shut as Al-Shamie tried to batter his way inside, was present in court alongside the families of both victims.
At the brief hearing, Judge Durran asked Det Ch Supt Lewis Hughes, from Greater Manchester Police (GMP), to give brief details of how each man was killed.
He said CCTV footage showed a black Kia Picanto car being driven into a security guard, named as Bernard Agyemang, before smashing into an external metal gate and a wall at approximately 09:30 BST.
He said the car had “narrowly missed” Mr Cravitz, who was on his way into the building, but almost immediately Al-Shamie got out of the vehicle.
Det Ch Supt Hughes, who was the senior investigating officer and senior identification officer on the day, told the court: “The offender exited the vehicle armed with a knife and immediately he made stabbing motions towards Mr Cravitz’s upper torso, neck and head area.”
He said Mr Daulby was inside the synagogue and “actively” helped to hold the door shut for around two minutes as Al-Shamie tried to force his way inside.
Det Ch Supt Hughes said: “On arrival at the synagogue armed officers discharged several rounds at the suspected terrorist Jihad Al-Shamie, as he ran towards them aggressively holding a knife and a possible suicide vest.
“A single stray or possible deflected bullet has penetrated the synagogue doors and fatally struck Mr Daulby in the chest.”
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