The man who murdered 22 people and injured 59 others has been named as Salman Ramadan Abedi, a Mancunian of Libyan descent. Abedi was known to the security services but was not part of any active investigation or regarded as a high risk. .
He was viewed as a peripheral figure in much the same way as the Westminister attacker, Khalid Masood. The police and security services are trying to establish whether he worked alone or was part of a wider network that helped him with the bomb. .
Although Islamic State has claimed responsibility, the police have found no evidence to support this. In her speech, Theresa May said “Abedi was born and brought up in Britain” but was of a Libyan descent. .
The Telegraph reports that Abedi is the second youngest of four children, born to a 50-year-old mother, Samia Tabbal and s security officer father, Abu Ismail Abedi, who both emigrated to London as refugees in the wake of former Libyan dictator, Muammar Gadaffi’s regime. .
Abedi’s parents lived in Fallowfield, South Manchester for ten years but returned to Libya after the fall of Gadaffi’s regime. Salman was reported to have made frequent travels to Libya and just returned from one of such trips days ago. .
An Imam told The Telegraph that Salman “had shown him “the face of hate” when he gave a talk warning on the dangers of so-called Islamic State“. He claimed he wasn’t surprised that Abedi is a suspect in this sort of crime as he had a face of hate and was “a dangerous extremist“. .
A neighbour described him as a loner who “wore mainly traditional Islamic clothes” and gave him the middle finger when he complained to him about bad parking. .
Other reports say Salman would stand in the street and chant Islamic verses loudly. Salman attended Manchester’s Salford University where he studied Business and Management but dropped out after two years as he rarely attended classes or participated in activities. .
Police authorities say he used an “improvised explosive device” in the attack. Salman Abedi also died in the explosion.