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COLLEYVILLE, TEXAS – JANUARY 16: A law enforcement vehicle sits in front of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue on January 16, 2022 in Colleyville, Texas. All four people who were held hostage at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue have been safely released after more than 10 hours of being held captive by a gunman. Yesterday, police responded to a hostage situation after reports of a man with a gun was holding people captive. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
TEXAS – Authorities in the United Kingdom arrested two teenagers who would be linked to Saturday’s hostage-taking at a synagogue in Colleyville, northeast Texas, and who were released after 10 hours.
Agents from the FBI Dallas Office identified the suspect as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen. The man died on Saturday after taking hostages.
The United Kingdom police did not give further details about the role that the two minors would have played in the retention of the four people inside the temple of the Beth Israel Congregation.
NBC News confirmed with an official source that the young men are the children of the suspect and were arrested in South Manchester. The minors are being questioned by the authorities and for now they do not face any charges.
The incident, which occurred in the Beth Israel congregation, located between Pleasant Run Rd and Shelton Dr., generated a strong police force that involved agents from the FBI, special tactics team (SWAT), Colleyville Police Department, and Department of Texas Public Safety.
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FOLLOWING
At about 10:41 a.m. Saturday, authorities received multiple 911 calls from people who were watching synagogue services through digital platforms, including Facebook.
The Colleyville Police Department then asked residents to stay away from the area and several were even evacuated as federal agents tried to contact the suspect.
During negotiations, the man had allegedly asked authorities to release Aafia Siddiqui from federal prison after she was convicted by a jury in 2010 of trying to kill US personnel in Afghanistan. Siddiqui is being held at the FMC Carswell federal prison for women in Fort Worth.
It is unknown if the man had any personal or family affiliation with Siddiqui or if he made any other requests.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott released a statement: “The Texas Department of Public Safety is working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville. The state of Texas stands ready to provide additional help as needed and we will continue to monitor the situation. I ask Texans to join me and Cecilia as we pray for the safety of parishioners.”
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FOLLOWING
At around 6 pm local time, officials confirmed that one of the hostages was released without injury. “This person will be reunited with his family as soon as possible and does not require medical attention,” they said in a statement.
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FOLLOWING
Then, just after 9 pm local time, three more hostages walked out as the SWAT team entered the building. The suspect died shortly after.
“Answered prayers. All hostages are alive and safe,” Governor Abbott wrote on his Twitter account.
Police later confirmed that no one was injured and FBI agents do not believe the attack was aimed at the Jewish community.
During a press conference, officials said they would not reveal details about how the hostages were rescued or other information as all those details will be part of the investigation.
Colleyville, a city of about 26,000 residents, is located 15 miles northeast of Fort Worth.