Texas rabbi says he, 2 hostages escaped synagogue standoff

The rabbi of a Texas synagogue the place a gunman took hostages throughout livestreamed providers mentioned Monday that he threw a chair at his captor earlier than escaping with two others after an hourslong standoff, crediting previous safety coaching for getting himself and his congregants out safely.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker advised ‘CBS Mornings’ that he let the gunman contained in the suburban Fort Worth synagogue Saturday as a result of he appeared to want shelter. He mentioned the person was not threatening or suspicious at first. Later, he heard a gun click on as he was praying.
Another man held hostage, Jeffrey R. Cohen, described the ordeal on Facebook on Monday.
“First of all, we escaped. We weren’t released or freed,” mentioned Cohen, who was certainly one of 4 individuals within the synagogue for providers that many different Congregation Beth Israel members have been watching on-line.

Cohen mentioned the lads labored to maintain the gunman engaged. They talked to the gunman, he lectured them. At one level because the state of affairs devolved, Cohen mentioned the gunman advised them to get on their knees. Cohen recalled rearing up in his chair and slowly transferring his head and mouthing no. As the gunman moved to sit down again down, Cohen mentioned Cytron-Walker yelled to run.
“The exit wasn’t too far away,” Cytron-Walker mentioned. “I told them to go. I threw a chair at the gunman, and I headed for the door. And all three of us were able to get out without even a shot being fired.”
Authorities recognized the hostage-taker as 44-year-old British nationwide Malik Faisal Akram, who was killed Saturday evening after the final three hostages ran out of the synagogue in Colleyville round 9 p.m. The first hostage was launched shortly after 5 p.m.
The FBI on Sunday evening issued a press release calling the ordeal “a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted” and mentioned the Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating. The company famous that Akram spoke repeatedly throughout negotiations a few prisoner who’s serving an 86-year sentence within the U.S. The assertion adopted feedback Saturday from the particular agent accountable for the FBI’s Dallas area workplace that the hostage-taker was targeted on a problem “not specifically related to the Jewish community.”
Akram may very well be heard ranting on a Facebook livestream of the providers and demanding the discharge of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of getting ties to al-Qaida who was convicted of making an attempt to kill U.S. Army officers in Afghanistan.
“The last hour or so of the standoff, he wasn’t getting what he wanted. It didn’t look good. It didn’t sound good. We were terrified,” Cytron-Walker advised ‘CBS Mornings.’
At a service held Monday night at a close-by Methodist church, Cytron-Walker mentioned the quantity of “well-wishes and kindness and compassion” has been been overwhelming.
“Thank you for all of the compassion, from the bottom of my heart,” Cytron-Walker sai
“While very few of us are doing OK right now, we’ll get through this,” he mentioned.
Video of the standoff’s finish from Dallas TV station WFAA confirmed individuals working out a door of the synagogue, after which a person holding a gun opening the identical door simply seconds later earlier than he circled and closed it. Moments later, a number of photographs after which an explosion may very well be heard.
Authorities have declined to say who shot Akram, saying it was nonetheless beneath investigation.
The investigation stretched to England, the place late Sunday police in Manchester introduced that two youngsters have been in custody in reference to the standoff. Greater Manchester Police tweeted that counter-terrorism officers had made the arrests however didn’t say whether or not the pair confronted any expenses.
President Joe Biden known as the episode an act of terror. Speaking to reporters in Philadelphia on Sunday, Biden mentioned Akram allegedly bought a weapon on the streets.
Federal investigators imagine Akram bought the handgun used within the hostage-taking in a personal sale, in accordance with an individual aware of the matter who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the investigation is ongoing. Akram arrived within the U.S. at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York about two weeks in the past, a regulation enforcement official mentioned.
Akram arrived within the U.S. on a vacationer visa from Great Britain, in accordance with a U.S. official who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the data was not meant to be public. London’s Metropolitan Police mentioned in a press release that its counter-terrorism police have been liaising with U.S. authorities in regards to the incident.

U.Okay. Home Secretary Priti Patel advised the House of Commons on Monday that she had spoken to her U.S. counterpart, Alejandro Mayorkas, and provided “the full support” of the police and safety providers in Britain within the investigation.
Akram used his telephone in the course of the course of negotiations to speak with individuals apart from regulation enforcement, in accordance with a regulation enforcement official who was not licensed to debate an ongoing investigation by title and spoke on situation of anonymity.
It wasn’t clear why Akram selected the synagogue, although the jail the place Siddiqui is serving her sentence is in Fort Worth.