Security cameras captured supposed Manchester bomber Salman Abedi the night of the fatal attack.
The photos, which were released by Greater Manchester Police on Saturday, showed a mustachioed Abedi, 22, wearing glasses, brown hat, jeans, and a black Hollister vest. According to NBC News, Chief Constable Ian Hopkins and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu of the UK Counter Terrorism Policing said the images’ background were blacked out.
Police anticipate these photos will encourage citizens to come forward with more information about the May 18 bombing—which killed 22 and left dozens more injured.
Police released photos of the Manchester bomber, Salman Abedi. pic.twitter.com/3zeQx5CgNJ
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) May 27, 2017
“Today we are releasing an image of Salman Abedi taken from CCTV on the night he committed the attack,” Hopkins and Basu said in a statement. “We are gathering a detailed picture of Abedi as the investigation develops and now need people to tell us if they have any information about his movements from 18 May when he returned to the UK through to Monday night.”
Authorities said Abedi attached a homemade bomb to himself and detonated it as people exited an Ariana Grande concert. As Crime Online previously reported, Abedi, a Briton born to Libyan parents, supposedly became “radicalized” during repeated visits to his parents’ home country.
CCTV images showing suicide bomber Salman Abedi on the night he attacked Manchester Arena killing 22 people, have been released by police pic.twitter.com/1DGHawCDX3
— Yanki יענקי פרבר (@yankifarber) May 27, 2017
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that British Prime Minister Theresa May said the threat level was lowered from “critical” to “severe.” May claimed that the downgrade followed the arrest of 11 suspects in the past 24 hours.
“The public should be clear about what this means,” May continued. “A threat level of severe means an attack is highly likely. The country should remain vigilant.”
According to CBS News, authorities have already searched 14 locations around Manchester. They are still investigating a handful more, however.
“Our priorities are to understand the run-up to this terrible event and to understand if more people were involved in planning this attack,” Hopkins and Basu concluded.
[Featured Image: Manchester Police]
