Manchester Arena bombing

The Manchester Arena bombing, or Manchester Arena attack, was an Islamic terrorist suicide bombing of Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, on 22 May 2017, following a concert by the American pop singer Ariana Grande. Perpetrated by Islamic extremist Salman Abedi and aided by his brother, Hashem Abedi, the bombing occurred at 22:31 and killed 22 people, injured 1,017, and destroyed the arena's foyer. It was the deadliest act of terrorism and the first suicide bombing in the United Kingdom since the 7 July 2005 London bombings. Carrying a large backpack, Abedi detonated an improvised explosive device containing triacetone triperoxide (TATP) and nuts and bolts serving as shrapnel. After initial suspicions of a terrorist network, police later said they believed Abedi had largely acted alone, but that others had been aware of his plans. In 2020, Hashem Abedi was tried and convicted for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2020 with a minimum term of 55 years, the longest ever imposed by a British court. A public inquiry released in 2021 found that 'more should have been done' by British police to stop the attack, while MI5 admitted it acted too slowly in dealing with Abedi. Grande briefly suspended her tour and hosted a benefit concert on 4 June entitled One Love Manchester, raising a total of £17 million towards victims of the bombing. Islamophobic hate crimes increased in the Greater Manchester area following the attack, according to police. Prime Minister Theresa May formed the Commission for Countering Extremism in response to the bombing.