UK

Arena bomber Salman Abedi ‘murdered 22 innocent victims’, inquest rules

Salman Abedi captured on CCTV four days before the Manchester Arena bombing after flying into the UK (GMP/PA)
Salman Abedi captured on CCTV four days before the Manchester Arena bombing after flying into the UK (GMP/PA) Salman Abedi captured on CCTV four days before the Manchester Arena bombing after flying into the UK (GMP/PA)
By Pat Hurst and Kim Pilling

Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi died from blast injuries and took 22 innocent people with him, an inquest has concluded.

Sir John Saunders, chairman of the public inquiry into the terror attack, acting as a coroner, released details of his ruling on Wednesday.

He was legally obliged to hold an inquest because Abedi had a sudden and violent death, despite his role in the attack being revealed during the long-running public inquiry and the police investigation and prosecution of his brother Hashem, who helped plot the attack.

Salman Abedi on the night he carried out the Manchester Arena terror attack
Salman Abedi on the night he carried out the Manchester Arena terror attack Salman Abedi on the night he carried out the Manchester Arena terror attack (Greater Manchester Police/PA)

After a documentary inquest rather than a public hearing in a coroner’s court, Sir John concluded Abedi, 22, died from “suicide while undertaking a terror attack that murdered 22 innocent victims and injured many others”.

The medical cause of death was blast injuries.

Recording the circumstances of how Abedi died, Sir John said: “The deceased died at 10.31pm on May 22 2017 in the City Room of the Manchester Arena in the Victoria Exchange Complex in Manchester.

“The deceased died near to the entrance doors to the Manchester Arena, when he detonated an explosive device that he had made with his brother and carried into the City Room in a backpack as part of a planned terror attack.

“In detonating the device the deceased murdered 22 innocent victims and injured many others.”