Texas Governor Greg Abbott has officially confirmed that all the four people who were hostage in the small city of Colleyville are now safe and alive. The officials have also announced that the hostage-taker is no longer alive, and the entire crisis is being thoroughly monitored by the U.S. and Israeli Governments.
Authorities in Colleyville, Texas, ended up spending Saturday dealing with the accused hostage-taker, a British national who had entered the Congregation Beth Israel mosque during Saturday prayers. Around 11 a.m. local time on Saturday, police were rushed to the mosque.
Colleyville police said they performed SWAT operations on Saturday evening after hours of discussions. A rescue squad entered the building, police commander Michael Miller said during a press conference, rescuing three hostages trapped inside. A few hours earlier, another hostage had been released unharmed.
According to police, the hostage-taker was shot and killed in the rescue operation. According to FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno, the man has been identified, but his identity will not be disclosed at this time. According to DeSarno, the released hostages did not require medical attention.
What Happened at the Mosque in Texas?
It was revealed that authorities identified a 44-year-old British national as the man who held four people hostage for ten hours in a Texas house of worship. This was done before an FBI SWAT team entered the building, ending a heated exchange that President Joe Biden called as “an act of terror.”
The F.B.I. named Malik Faisal Akram as the man who kidnapped four individuals, including a rabbi at a Congregation Beth Israel ceremony on Saturday morning. The Reform place of worship is located in Colleyville, Texas, which has a population of roughly 26,000 people and is about 15 miles northeast of Fort Worth.
Mr. Akram could be heard shouting about dying and demanding that a woman he claimed was his sister call him on the phone throughout the funeral, which was live-streamed. Residents were told to stay at home and avoid visiting the mosque after the nearby area was evacuated.
About 200 local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel gathered at the house of worship throughout the day, including a team of F.B.I. agents and dog handlers who rushed in from Quantico, according to the authorities.
According to officials, one hostage was released at 5 p.m. He was not hurt. The F.B.I.’s special hostage rescue squad rescued the remaining captives from the synagogues safely at 9:30. Negotiators had been in contact with Mr. Akram all day, according to officials.
Who is the Main Suspect?
According to the police, the suspect named Mr. Akram who is a British citizen was identified as the hostage-taker by the F.B.I. Dallas field office on Sunday. The F.B.I. said in a statement that at this time there is no indication that other individuals are engaged in the incident.
The FBI’s North Texas terrorism task group is following up on leads, as more information is gathered then the officials will brief it out with the press. Mr. Akram had demanded to see his sister, who may or may not be connected to him and is currently in a federal jail in the United States for terrorist actions in Afghanistan, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The department stated in a statement on Saturday before the rescue that the accused wanted to pay a visit to his sister, after he sees her then the man and his sister will walk to Jannat.
The Current Scenario
According to authorities, the area in and around the house of worship is still a crime scene. Even though the situation was resolved, Colleyville Police Chief Michael C. Miller said that an FBI evidence team and bomb technicians will be scanning the area to collect more evidence about the incident.
At this time, we do not have any evidence that indicates this is part of any ongoing threat, Mr. DeSarno said, claiming that the officials will keep looking into the hostage-taker. Moreover, we will keep looking into his contacts. Our study will be international in scope while other officials have contacted authorities in other nations.
Who Were the Hostages?
According to the police chief, the four hostages were all adults, though the officials did not disclose their ages. Police said at a press briefing on Saturday night that the F.B.I. was interviewing the victims about the entire situation that led to the havoc in and around the area of the mosque.
One of them was the priest of the synagogue who is named Charlie Cytron-Walker, the synagogue’s chief rabbi, who was described as a unifying figure who worked to strengthen interfaith relations.
As per the personnel, it has not been confirmed yet how he entered the United States. To know this, the police officials have detained two persons to collect more information on this. It has been disclosed that during the rescue operation the accused killed themself with the gun he was having. Stay tuned with us for more updates and information.
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