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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 18 January 2022
Texas rabbi says he, 2 hostages escaped synagogue standoff

By JAKE BLEIBERG and ERIC "He was just all over the
TUCKER Associated Press map. He was pretty irritat-
COLLEYVILLE, Texas (AP) — ed and the more irritated
The rabbi of a Texas syna- he got, he'd make more
gogue said Monday that threats, like 'I'm the guy
he threw a chair at the gun- with the bomb. If you make
man and then escaped a mistake, this is all on you.'
with two other hostages And he'd laugh at that,"
after a 10-hour standoff, Francis said. "He was clearly
crediting past security train- in extreme distress."
ing for getting himself and Colleyville, a community
his congregation out safely. of about 26,000 people, is
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walk- about 15 miles (23 kilome-
er told "CBS Mornings" that ters) northeast of Fort Worth.
he let the gunman in Satur- Reached outside his home
day because he appeared Sunday, Cytron-Walker de-
to need shelter. He said the clined to speak at length
man was not threatening about the episode. "It's a
or suspicious at first. Later, little overwhelming as you
he heard a gun click as he can imagine.
was praying. It was not fun yesterday,"
Another man held hostage, he told the AP.
Jeffrey R. Cohen, described Andrew Marc Paley, a Dal-
the ordeal on Facebook. las rabbi who was called to
"First of all, we escaped. We the scene to help families
weren't released or freed," ranting on a Facebook sale, according to a person Michael Finfer, the presi- and hostages upon their
Cohen said. livestream of the services familiar with the matter who dent of the congregation, release, said Cytron-Walk-
Cohen said the men and demanding the re- spoke on condition of ano- said in a statement "there er acted as a calm and
worked to keep the gun- lease of Aafia Siddiqui, a nymity because the inves- was a one in a million comforting presence. The
man engaged. They talked Pakistani neuroscientist sus- tigation is ongoing. Akram chance that the gunman first hostage was released
to the gunman, he lec- pected of having ties to al- arrived in the U.S. at John F. picked our congregation." shortly after 5 p.m. That
tured them. At one point as Qaida who was convicted Kennedy International Air- Akram used his phone dur- was around the time food
the situation devolved, Co- of trying to kill U.S. Army of- port in New York about two ing the course of negotia- was delivered to those in-
hen said the gunman told ficers in Afghanistan. weeks ago, a law enforce- tions to communicate with side the synagogue, but
them to get on their knees. The investigation stretched ment official said. people other than law en- Paley said he did not know
Cohen recalled rearing up to England, where late Sun- Akram arrived in the U.S. re- forcement, according to if it was part of the negotia-
in his chair and slowly mov- day police in Manchester cently on a tourist visa from a law enforcement official tions.
ing his head and mouth- announced that two teen- Great Britain, according to who was not authorized to Cytron-Walker said his con-
ing "no." As the gunman agers were in custody in a U.S. official who spoke on discuss an ongoing investi- gregation had received
moved to sit back down, connection with the stand- condition of anonymity be- gation by name and spoke training from local authori-
Cohen said Cytron-Walker off. Greater Manchester cause the information was on condition of anonymity. ties and the Secure Com-
yelled to run. Police tweeted that coun- not intended to be public. Multiple people heard the munity Network, which was
"The exit wasn't too far ter-terrorism officers had London's Metropolitan Po- hostage-taker refer to Sid- founded in 2004 by a coali-
away," Cytron-Walker said. made the arrests but did lice said in a statement that diqui as his "sister" on the tion of Jewish organizations
"I told them to go. I threw a not say whether the pair its counter-terrorism police livestream. But John Floyd, and describes itself as "the
chair at the gunman, and I faced any charges. were liaising with U.S. au- board chair for the Hous- official safety and security

headed for the door. And Video of the standoff's end thorities about the incident. ton chapter of the Council organization" of the Jewish
all three of us were able to from Dallas TV station WFAA U.K. Home Secretary Priti on American-Islamic Rela- community in North Amer-
get out without even a shot showed people running out Patel told the House of tions — the nation's largest ica. Michael Masters, the
being fired." a door of the synagogue, Commons on Monday that Muslim advocacy group — CEO of the organization,
Authorities identified the and then a man holding she had spoken to her U.S. said Siddiqui's brother, Mo- said the congregation had
hostage-taker as 44-year- a gun opening the same counterpart, Alejandro hammad Siddiqui, was not provided security training in
old British national Malik door just seconds later be- Mayorkas, and offered "the involved. August and had not been
Faisal Akram, who was fore he turned around and full support" of the police Texas resident Victo- previously aware of Akram.
killed Saturday night after closed it. Moments later, and security services in Brit- ria Francis, who said she The standoff led authorities
the last hostages ran out of several shots and then an ain in the investigation. watched about an hour to tighten security in other
Congregation Beth Israel explosion could be heard. It wasn't clear why Akram of the livestream, said she places, including New York
around 9 p.m. Authorities have declined chose the synagogue, heard the man rant against City, where police said that
The FBI on Sunday night is- to say who shot Akram, say- though the prison where America and claim he had they increased their pres-
sued a statement calling ing it was still under investi- Siddiqui is serving her sen- a bomb. Biden said there ence "at key Jewish institu-
the ordeal "a terrorism-re- gation. tence is in nearby Fort were apparently no explo- tions" out of an abundance
lated matter, in which the President Joe Biden called Worth. sives, despite the threats. of caution.q
Jewish community was tar- the episode an act of ter-
geted" and said the Joint ror. Speaking to reporters LIKE US ON
Terrorism Task Force is in- in Philadelphia on Sunday,
vestigating. The agency Biden said Akram allegedly
noted that Akram spoke purchased a weapon on
repeatedly during negotia- the streets.
tions about a prisoner who Federal investigators be-
is serving an 86-year sen- lieve Akram purchased
tence in the U.S. the handgun used in the
Akram could be heard hostage taking in a private Facebook.com/arubatoday/