AUTHORITIES identified the hostage taker as 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, who is a British citizen, after all hostages were safely rescued from the Fort Worth, Texas synagogue Saturday night.
Akram kept members of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville captive for almost 12 hours after storming the temple and demanding to speak to convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui.
After the dramatic rescue, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker said he is "grateful to be alive."
Rabbi Cytron-Walker was among the hostages, and took to Facebook to express his gratitude for law enforcement and first responders, and the thoughts and prayers.
"I am grateful that we made it out," he wrote. "I am grateful to be alive."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted that all hostages were rescued on Saturday night, and are "alive and safe."
Read our synagogue hostage siege live blog for the latest news and updates…
- H. J. Hayes
Police deployed to synagogues nationwide
As a precaution, the NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau deployed cops to synagogues across the city.
Dallas and Los Angeles are also among the cities that stepped up police presence at synagogues as the situation in Colleyville unfolded on Saturday.
Police were stationed around the synagogue in Colleyville along with the FBI for around 12 hours.
- H. J. Hayes
Who is Angela Buchdahl?
The hostage-taker called Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York City to relay his demands and wanted her to use her influence to secure the release of Siddiqui.
She confirmed her involvement to the Jewish Telegraph Agency, and said she spoke twice to the suspect.
“I can confirm that the gunman reached out to me twice yesterday by phone,” Buchdahl wrote in an email. “We are about to share a note with the congregation just confirming that. Other than that for security reasons I cannot share more.”
It is not clear why Akram called Buchdahl.
- H. J. Hayes
When were hostages released?
Late on Saturday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that all four people were taken out of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.
On Twitter, he shared the news and commented, “Prayers answered.”
- H. J. Hayes
Rabbi Cytron-Walker’s civil rights backgrond
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker hails from Lansing, Michigan, and previously worked at Focus: HOPE, a civil and human rights organization in Detroit, Michigan.
He was also the assistant director of the Amherst Survival Center.
The rabbi graduated from the University of Michigan in 1998 and also attended Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
He received his rabbinical ordination in 2006.
Rabbi Cytron-Walker is a past president of the South West Association of Reform Rabbis and serves on the steering committee of Peace Together.
- Jennifer Korn
Is Rabbi Cytron-Walker married?
Rabbi Cytron-Walker is married to Adena Cytron-Walker.
The pair has two daughters.
According to her LinkedIn profile, Adena was a team manager at Destination Imagination for nearly seven years.
She also served as a teacher at Congregation Beth Israel for nine years.
Adena is the co-author of Intergroup Dialogue in Higher Education: Meaningful Learning about Social Justice.
She is reportedly the vice president of programs at the Multicultural Alliance, where she coordinates Camp CommUNITY, according to the company’s website.
- Jennifer Korn
Vice President Kamala Harris’ statement, continued
She added: "While we will learn more about the hostage taker’s motivation, we know this: what happened yesterday at Congregation Beth Israel is a reminder that we must speak up and combat antisemitism and hate wherever it exists."
"Everyone has a right to pray, work, study, and spend time with loved ones not as the other – but as us."
- Jennifer Korn
Vice President Kamala Harris' statement
Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement Sunday:
"This morning, we are grateful that four people held hostage in a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas are safe and going home to their families."
"We thank the brave men and women in federal, state, and local law enforcement, and we stand in solidarity with the Congregation Beth Israel community and the entire Jewish community."
- Jennifer Korn
Brother of hostage taker statement, part four
"It is absolutely inexcusable for a Muslim to attack a Jew or for any Jew to attack a Muslim, Christian, Hindu vice versa etc etc."
"Finally to all the people that have been bombarding us with non stop calls and texts please for the love of Allah STOP please STOP show some restraint and respect at such a difficult time for our family especially after losing our younger sibling barely 3 months ago."
"Please if you can grant us some privacy as we are grieving privately in our homes. GULBAR <3"
- Jennifer Korn
Brother of hostage taker statement, part three
"A few minutes later a firefight has taken place and he was shot and killed. ILWIAR. There was nothing we could have said to him or done that would have convinced him to surrender."
"The FBI are due to fly into the UK later today so we don't have much else to share at the moment. Obviously our priority will be to get him back to the UK for his Funeral prayers although we have been warned it could take weeks."
"We would also like to add that any attack on any human being be it a Jew, Christian or Muslim etc is wrong and should always be condemned."
- Jennifer Korn
Brother of hostage taker statement, part two
"Sitting in the incident room all last night at Greenbank until the early hours liaising with Faisal, the negotiators, FBI etc And although my brother was suffering from mental health issues we were confident that he would not harm the hostages."
"At around 3am the first person was released then an hour later he released the other 3 people through the fire door unharmed."
"Don't believe the bull**** in the media they were released from the fire exit and not rescued."
- Jennifer Korn
Brother of hostage taker issues statement
The brother of Faisal Akram shared a written statement with Sky News:
"Salaam Family & Friends, it is with great great sadness I will confirm my brother Faisal passed away in Texas, USA this morning."
"We are absolutely devastated as a family. We can't say much now as their[sic] is an ongoing FBI investigation."
"We would like to say that we as a family do not condone any of his actions and would like to sincerely apologize wholeheartedly to all the victims involved in the unfortunate incident."
- Jennifer Korn
Hostake-taker called New York rabbi
During the siege, the hostage-taker called Angela Buchdahl, senior rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York City to relay his demands and wanted her to use her influence to secure the release of Aafia Siddiqui.
The rabbi confirmed her involvement to the Jewish Telegraph Agency, and said she spoke twice to the hostage taker.
“I can confirm that the gunman reached out to me twice yesterday by phone,” Buchdahl wrote in an email.
“We are about to share a note with the congregation just confirming that. Other than that for security reasons I cannot share more.”
It is not clear why Buchdahl was called by the gunman.
- Jennifer Korn
Hostage taker identified
Authorities identified the hostage taker as 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, who is a British citizen.
Akram was reportedly killed by officials after all hostages were safely rescued from the Fort Worth, Texas synagogue Saturday night.
- Jennifer Korn
Rabbi's Facebook statement, continued
"I am grateful for my family.
I am grateful for the CBI Community, the Jewish Community, the Human Community," Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker continued.
"I am grateful that we made it out."
"I am grateful to be alive."
- Jennifer Korn
Rabbi issues Facebook statement
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and three other hostages were rescued Saturday night.
The Rabbi issued a statement on Facebook early Sunday Morning:
"I am thankful and filled with appreciation for
All of the vigils and prayers and love and support,
All of the law enforcement and first responders who cared for us,
All of the security training that helped save us."
- Jennifer Korn
Where is Colleyville, Texas?
Colleyville is around 15 miles northeast of Fort Worth.
The city has a population of around 26,000.
- Jennifer Korn
Hostage taker may have been British
According to multiple reports, the hostage taker was a British citizen.
Authorities have identified the deceased suspect, but have not yet released a name.
- Jennifer Korn
President Biden's statement, continued
“There is more we will learn in the days ahead about the motivations of the hostage taker,” said Biden.
“But let me be clear to anyone who intends to spread hate – we will stand against antisemitism and against the rise of extremism in this country.”
- Jennifer Korn
What did President Biden say?
After the hostages escaped, Biden said in a statement that he is "grateful to the tireless work of law enforcement at all levels who acted cooperatively and fearlessly to rescue the hostages."
"We are sending love and strength to the members of Congregation Beth Israel, Colleyville, and the Jewish community."
- Jennifer Korn
Calls for gun control
One Twitter user said "we need gun control now!" in response to the synagogue hostage situation.
- H. J. Hayes
When were hostages released?
Late on Saturday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that all four people were taken out of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.
On Twitter, he shared the news and commented, "Prayers answered."
- H. J. Hayes
Suspect ‘fatally shot’
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the assailant in the synagogue hostage situation was fatally shot.
“U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne told a Star-Telegram reporter in a text the hostage-taker is dead,” the outlet said.
It is not yet known if the suspect was shot by authorities, or if the gunshot was self-inflicted.
- H. J. Hayes
Rabbi Cytron-Walker's civil rights backgrond
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker hails from Lansing, Michigan, and previously worked at Focus: HOPE, a civil and human rights organization in Detroit, Michigan.
He was also the assistant director of the Amherst Survival Center.
The rabbi graduated from the University of Michigan in 1998 and also attended Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.
He received his rabbinical ordination in 2006.
Rabbi Cytron-Walker is a past president of the South West Association of Reform Rabbis and serves on the steering committee of Peace Together.
- H. J. Hayes
Who is Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker?
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker is a clergy member at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.
He is the synagogue’s first full-time rabbi since 2006.
- H. J. Hayes
Were there bombs at the Colleyville synagogue?
A source told ABC news that the Colleyville hostage-taker had “bombs in unknown locations.”
However, it’s not clear where any explosives may have been.
Investigators on the scene said the assailant had backpacks on his person, and law enforcement treated the situation as though there were explosives confirmed on the scene.
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