May 22 2017: Salman Abedi’s final movements in detail

Here is a timeline of Manchester Arena bomber Salman Abedi’s final movements on the day he brought murder to the city of his birth:

Monday, May 22 2017

Salman Abedi briefly leaves his rented flat in Granby House, central Manchester, to withdraw £400 from a cash dispenser nearby. He returns to the flat 10 minutes later.

Abedi leaves again, this time carrying the large blue suitcase bought on his return to the UK four days earlier, as well as a black bin bag. He gets in a cab and heads to Great Ancoats Street.

CCTV catches Abedi approaching Stevenson Square but he is no longer in possession of the bin bag.

Manchester Arena incident
Manchester Arena incident

He arrives back at Granby House on foot, where he spends the next four and a half hours.

He is captured on CCTV in the basement car park of Granby House carrying two large black bin bags. He re-emerges later without them.

Abedi leaves the flat and heads to the nearby Muslim Youth Foundation, where he is said to arrange money being sent back to Libya. He then walks towards Shudehill Metrolink Station.

Manchester Arena incident
Manchester Arena incident

There, he travels one tram stop to Victoria Train Station.

Abedi walks through the station and up the stairs towards the City Room. He is there mere moments before heading home, seemingly speaking to security staff as he leaves.

CCTV shows Abedi getting into a black cab at Victoria Station, arriving at Granby House at 1850.

After less than an hour inside the flat, Abedi leaves again carrying the large blue suitcase and a small rucksack.

Manchester Arena incident
Manchester Arena incident

Moments later, he is seen on CCTV on Minshull Street South without the suitcase – it has never been recovered.

Abedi hails a cab from Piccadilly Train Station to Shudehill, but is no longer wearing the rucksack – it is later discovered in scrubland nearby, containing his Libyan passport.

En route, Abedi dashes into Granby House, and emerges six minutes later carrying a large Karrimor backpack. It contains his homemade bomb, including 5 kilos of shrapnel.

Manchester Arena incident
Manchester Arena incident

He arrives at Shudehill and walks to the Metrolink Station, waiting for a tram to Victoria Station.

2030: Abedi arrives at Victoria Station, carrying the rucksack on his back. He sits down on a seat on the platform for a minute before moving to another seat for three minutes. He then stands up and walks up the steps from the platform to the public toilets, where he remains in a cubicle for 10 minutes.

2048: Abedi walks across the main concourse at the train station and takes the lift up to the footbridge that leads to the Manchester Arena concourse.

(PA Graphics)
(PA Graphics)

2051: He enters the City Room, the foyer for the Arena, where he remains for 19 minutes, out of view.

2110: Abedi leaves the City Room and returns to the Metrolink platform taking the reverse route he had taken earlier where he again sits down and remains there for 16 minutes.

2129: Abedi leaves the Metrolink platform again and takes the lift up to the footbridge to the Manchester Arena concourse. Whilst in the lift he appears to adjust the wiring below his jacket.

Manchester Arena incident
Manchester Arena incident

2133: Abedi re-enters the City Room before again going out of CCTV camera view in the raised area. He remains there for just under an hour.

2230: People are seen streaming out of the Ariana Grande concert. Abedi then appears from the stairway and walks across the concourse.

2231: Salman Abedi, 22, detonates his rucksack bomb in the foyer at Manchester Arena, murdering 22 bystanders.

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