FBI backtracks, now says Jewish community was targeted in synagogue hostage situation



The Federal Bureau of Investigation has changed its story and now says that Saturday's synagogue 11-hour hostage situation in Colleyville, Texas, was an intended targeting of the Jewish community.

The FBI initially said that the incident — which left the hostage-taker dead — was not "specifically related to the Jewish community."

What are the details?

On Monday, CNN reported that the suspect, 44-year-old British national Malik Faisal Akram, "spoke repeatedly about a convicted terrorist who is serving an 86-year prison sentence in the United States."

Fox News host Shannon Bream tweeted the FBI's newest statement, which read, "This is a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted, and is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force."

Newest FBI statement on Colleyville just in - per Fox\u2019s @JakeBGibson: \u201cThis is a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted, and is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.\u201d
— Shannon Bream (@Shannon Bream) 1642395044

Following the incident, FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said, "We do believe from our engagement with this subject that he was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community. But we’re continuing to work to find motive and we will continue on that path. In terms of the resolution of the incident, the hostage taker is deceased.”

Law enforcement on Saturday reported that at least four people — a Jewish rabbi and three synagogue congregants — were taken hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville.

Previous reporting stated that the suspect claimed to be the brother of Aafia Siddiqui, a terrorist who is incarcerated at Fort Worth's Carswell Air Force Base. A judge in 2010 sentenced Siddiqui to 86 years in federal prison for conspiring to kill U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.

Akram during the hostage situation reportedly demanded Siddiqui's freedom in exchange for the four lives.

One hostage was released shortly before 5 p.m. local time, while the other three hostages were freed as the FBI executed a strike on Akram, killing him.

CNN reported that British authorities arrested two Manchester, England, teenagers in connection with the Texas incident.

The unnamed teenagers are being held for questioning at the time of this reporting, and it is unknown what role they may have played in planning the attack.

What else is there to know about this?

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who was one of the hostages, said that the synagogue underwent "multiple security courses" in training to survive such incidents.

"In the last hour of our hostage crisis, the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening," Cytron-Walker said in a statement. "Without the instruction we received, we would not have been prepared to act and flee when the situation presented itself."

Armed man takes hostages at Texas synagogue, reportedly demands release of convicted terrorist 'Lady Al Qaeda'



Law enforcement say at least four people are being held hostage at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, a city situated in between Dallas and Fort Worth.

What are the details?

A rabbi and three congregants were taken hostage Saturday afternoon at the synagogue, ABC News reported. A massive law enforcement presence remains on scene and an FBI negotiator is talking with the suspect.

Police are not aware to what extent the suspect is armed, though he has claimed to have a bomb. None of the hostages are believed to be harmed.

ABC News reported that the suspect is claiming to be the brother of Aafia Siddiqui, a notorious terrorist who is incarcerated at nearby Carswell Air Force Base. Siddiqui was sentenced to 86 years in federal prison in 2010 for conspiring to kill U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan. The suspect is reportedly demanding Siddiqui's freedom.

Foreign Policy explained more about Siddiqui:

[Siddiqui is] linked to al Qaeda and was convicted in 2010 of attempting to kill Americans in Afghanistan, would violate the administration’s policy of not granting concessions to terrorist groups, the officials concluded. It would also put a potentially dangerous fighter back on the street. Siddiqui ... who’s known in counterterrorism circles as "Lady al Qaeda," has been linked to 9/11 ringleader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and was once on the FBI’s most-wanted terrorists list.

Educated in the United States — she studied at M.I.T. and received a doctorate from Brandeis — Siddiqui was arrested in 2008 in Afghanistan carrying sodium cyanide, as well as documents describing how to make chemical weapons and dirty bombs and how to weaponize Ebola. When FBI and military officials tried to question Siddiqui, she grabbed a weapon left on the table in her interrogation room and fired upon them.

The suspect reportedly entered the synagogue and took hostages in the middle of a service, which was being livestreamed on Facebook, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

"The man has repeatedly mentioned his sister and Islam and used profanities. He was heard asking for his sister to be released from prison. At one point, another voice can be heard apparently talking on the phone to police," the newspaper reported. "The man has said a few times he didn’t want anyone hurt, and he has mentioned his children. He also said repeatedly he believes he is going to die."

The livestream video has since been taken down.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated.