Police in England said one of the two Jewish community members killed and one of the victims injured during an attack at a synagogue on Yom Kippur are now believed to have been struck by police gunfire as officers tried to stop the attacker.

One deceased victim had a gunshot injury, a pathologist provisionally determined, according to Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson. The suspect, Jihad Al-Shamie, was not carrying a firearm and the only shots fired were by responding law enforcement officers, Watson said.

"It follows therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers to bring this vicious attack to an end," Watson said.

One of the injured victims being treated at a hospital also has a non-life-threatening gunshot wound, Watson said. Both the victims with gunshot wounds were standing close together behind the synagogue door "as worshippers acted bravely to prevent the attacker from gaining entry," he said.

The attack on Oct. 2 unfolded at about 9:30 a.m. at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall, north Manchester, when police said the suspect drove a vehicle directly at members of the public and began stabbing people. Police responded and fatally shot the attacker, later identified as Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent. The attack was declared a terrorist incident by British authorities.

Three people were being treated for injuries as of late Oct. 2, including one who suffered a stab wound and another struck by a car, officials said.

Three other people – two men in their 30s and a woman in her 60s – were arrested on suspicion of commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism, the UK's Counter Terrorism Policing office said.

Police said a "suspicious device" worn by the attacker was "deemed not to be viable." Earlier in the day, police said the suspect was wearing a vest that looked like an explosive device, and a bomb disposal unit was called in.

Authorities said they were working to identify the deceased victims and provide support for their families.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Police gunfire likely struck 1 victim killed in England synagogue attack, authorities say

Reporting by Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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