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Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis

Coordinates: 32°53′50.6″N 97°9′18.4″W / 32.897389°N 97.155111°W / 32.897389; -97.155111
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Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis
Part of antisemitism in the United States and terrorism in the United States
Police outside the Colleyville synagogue on January 15, 2022
Map
LocationCongregation Beth Israel, Colleyville, Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas, United States
Coordinates32°53′50.6″N 97°9′18.4″W / 32.897389°N 97.155111°W / 32.897389; -97.155111
DateJanuary 15, 2022
10:41 a.m. – c. 9:30 p.m. (CST)
Attack type
Hostage-taking
Deaths1 (the perpetrator)
Victims4 (all hostages freed)
PerpetratorMalik Faisal Akram[1]
MotiveAntisemitism, efforts to release Aafia Siddiqui from prison
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On January 15, 2022, 44-year-old gunman Malik Faisal Akram, a British citizen, took four people hostage in the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, United States during Sabbath services. During hostage negotiations, Akram demanded that Aafia Siddiqui be released from prison. After an 11-hour standoff, the three remaining hostages escaped and an FBI Hostage Rescue Team entered the synagogue; Akram died from a gunshot wound during rescue operations. The hostages were unharmed.

Background


Aafia Siddiqui

Aafia Siddiqui, also known as "Lady al-Qaeda", is a Pakistani neuroscientist and al-Qaeda operative. She is currently being held in the Federal Medical Center, Carswell, a women's federal prison in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, while serving an 86-year sentence for attempted murder and other crimes.[2][3][4] Siddiqui was arrested in 2008 in Afghanistan, in possession of notes referring to a "mass casualty attack", along with a list of possible targets and methods. She was convicted in a U.S. federal court in 2010.[5][6][7] According to U.S. authorities, Siddiqui married Ammar al-Baluchi, the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the ringleader of the September 11 attacks.[5] She attempted to kill a U.S. Army captain while in Afghan custody; she was also convicted of armed assault, using and carrying a firearm, and three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.[7]

For years, Siddiqui has been a cause célèbre in Islamist militant circles and in Pakistan, where she is depicted as a martyr and heroine.[4][5] The terrorist groups al-Qaeda, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Islamic State (Daesh) have all unsuccessfully tried to negotiate Siddiqui's release at various points.[5] Islamic State sought to trade kidnapped American journalist James Foley for her; after the U.S. government declined, the organization beheaded Foley.[6]

During her trial, Siddiqui made antisemitic statements and asked that there be no Jewish people on the jury, going so far as to demand genetic tests on jurors at one point.[8] She later claimed she was not against all "Israeli Americans".[9] After her sentencing by a U.S. court for a crime against Americans, she held her right index finger in the air and said, "This is a verdict coming from Israel and not from America. That's where the anger belongs."[10]

Congregation Beth Israel

Congregation Beth Israel is a Reform Jewish synagogue located in Colleyville, Texas, a suburb 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Fort Worth in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[11][12] The congregation was initially a chavurah[13] established in 1999 with 25 families; a religious school with 75 children began shortly afterward.[11][14] After initially holding services at rented facilities, Congregation Beth Israel opened a synagogue of its own in 2004.[14] The congregation is smaller than other Jewish congregations in the area;[14] at the time of the incident, the congregation had around 140 members.[15] The synagogue's rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker, is originally from Lansing, Michigan.[16] He became the congregation's rabbi in 2006[14][15] and is known for his work in interfaith relations.[15][17][18]

Clergy and staff at the synagogue had taken courses for multiple years through the FBI, the Anti-Defamation League, the Colleyville Police Department, and Secure Community Network in order to prepare for an intruder. Cytron-Walker credited the courses for saving the hostages' lives.[19]

Perpetrator

The perpetrator, 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, had traveled to the U.S. from his home country of the United Kingdom.[1] UK counter-terrorism police confirmed that Akram was originally from Blackburn, Lancashire, in the North West of England.[20] He entered the United States on December 27, 2021, two weeks prior to the incident, at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.[21]

In September 2001, Akram was banned from Blackburn's magistrates' court for threatening staff, including on days where he was not due in court. His final threat was made on September 12, when he said that he wished that a court usher had been killed in the previous day's terrorist attacks.[22][23] As of January 17, 2022, police have not confirmed any prior offending by Akram, while Akram's family have said he had a criminal record and should have been barred from entering the U.S.[22]

During negotiations, Akram said that he had six children.[8] A brother of Akram said that he had mental health issues,[20] and that three months prior to the incident, a younger sibling had died.[8]

After the incident, President Joe Biden suggested that Akram may have purchased the gun he used in the incident "on the street" while in the U.S.,[24] but he cautioned that he did not know all of the facts.[8]

Events

Hostage crisis

At 10:41 a.m. on January 15, 2022, Akram entered Congregation Beth Israel by posing as a homeless man seeking shelter and was made a cup of tea by Rabbi Cytron-Walker. Cytron-Walker said after his rescue that he was not suspicious of Akram, but he also noted that he was "curious" after some of his story did not add up.[6][19] During prayer, Cytron-Walker turned his back on the congregation to pray towards Jerusalem and heard a click, which turned out to be Akram's pistol.[19][25] Akram then began taking hostages in the synagogue during Sabbath services.[26] A total of four hostages, including Cytron-Walker, were held captive.[11]

The Colleyville Police Department first received a 9-1-1 call reporting the situation at 10:41 a.m.[27] A report that hostages had been taken at Congregation Beth Israel was made public at around 11:30 a.m. via a tweet from the Colleyville Police Department, which said a SWAT team was on the scene. Police were later assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Texas Department of Public Safety.[12] Law enforcement evacuated the neighborhood in the vicinity of the crime scene.[26] Ultimately, more than 200 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers and agents responded to the scene, including a team of around 70 FBI hostage negotiators and rescue operatives who flew in from Quantico, Virginia.[28][29]

A livestream of the synagogue's services on its Facebook page recorded the ongoing situation, including the forceful taking of hostages.[12][30] In the livestream, Akram could be heard speaking to authorities, who attempted to negotiate with him.[12] At one point, Akram claimed (apparently falsely) to have a bomb.[24] The livestream also reportedly captured Akram saying that he had flown to the city where Siddiqui is imprisoned with the intent of taking hostages, and that he chose to take hostages in a synagogue because the U.S. "only cares about Jewish lives."[21] At about 2:00 p.m., Facebook cut the livestream feed.[7]

Six hours into the incident, shortly after 5:00 p.m., Akram released one of the hostages. The man did not need medical attention.[24]

Negotiations

During the incident, Akram demanded that Siddiqui be released from prison and referred to her as "sister", though she is not in fact a relative.[2][3] Siddiqui's lawyer said her client had no involvement in the incident.[25] According to a since-deleted Facebook post, a brother of Akram's had become involved in the negotiations from a Blackburn Greenbank police station, having been taken to its incident room to liaise with the FBI and negotiators. He later wrote that their whole family condemns Akram's actions.[8]

During negotiations, Akram was emotionally unstable and agitated.[8] He ranted against the U.S. and threatened to kill the hostages, saying, "If anyone tries to enter this building, I'm telling you...everyone will die," and "I'm going to die. Don't cry about me..."[7][11] A member of the synagogue who was listening to its livestream said that she heard him speak using anti-Israeli epithets.[31] At one point, Akram asked each hostage how many children they had and then said to the hostage negotiator: "Do you want to have seven children lose their parent?"[30] However, he also said "I don't wanna hurt 'em, yeah" in reference to the hostages.[8]

At one point, Akram called Central Synagogue in New York City and twice demanded to speak to Senior Rabbi Angela Buchdahl. While on the phone with Buchdahl, he said that he had a bomb and asked her to use her position of influence to secure Siddiqui's release. Buchdahl immediately contacted law enforcement.[32]

Resolution

After the standoff reached ten hours, and Siddiqui remained unreleased, the situation became dire. However, Cytron-Walker and the two other remaining hostages saw that Akram was out of position and knew the exit was nearby. They ran towards the exit, and Cyton-Walker threw a chair at Akram. The three escaped, and no shots were fired by Akram.[19] Video taken outside the synagogue just before 9:15 p.m. showed them sprinting out of the building while being followed by Akram, who then receded into the building.[24] Cytron-Walker said Akram grew "increasingly belligerent and threatening" toward the end of the eleven-hour standoff. He also credited security courses he had taken for helping the captives figure out the right moment to flee.[33]

After the hostages fled the building, the FBI Hostage Rescue SWAT team were seen surrounding the building.[24] At 9:21 p.m., James Hartley of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported, on Twitter, that he heard "what sounds like gunshots and a much louder bang, possibly a flash grenade" from the synagogue.[34] After electricity was cut to the synagogue, agents breached the synagogue, and Akram was declared dead.[24]

At around 9:30 p.m., after an eleven-hour standoff, all remaining hostages were confirmed to have been recovered unharmed.[28] Akram was also confirmed to have been killed by a shooting, but the FBI did not initially say if the wound was self-inflicted or fired by law enforcement.[6][28][35] After the synagogue was secured, the building was swept by the FBI's Evidence Response Team[28][36] and bomb technicians.[28]

Investigation

The FBI's North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force coordinated the investigation.[36] In a statement, the FBI said, "This is a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted, and is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force. We never lose sight of the threat extremists pose to the Jewish community and to other religious, racial, and ethnic groups."[37] British counterterrorism police assisted the U.S. authorities.[38] The UK's Foreign Office confirmed Akram was a British national.[39] The FBI believes that Akram acted alone,[36] and Matthew DeSarno, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Dallas field office, said there is no indication that the man was part of any broader plan.[24][28] DeSarno also said the investigation into the incident will have global reach,[24][28] and he confirmed that the FBI Shooting Incident Review Team "will conduct a thorough, factual, and objective investigation of the events."[38] A day after the incident, President Biden said Akram was armed with guns, but his claim of being armed with a bomb was not true.[24]

The day after the incident, two teenagers were apprehended in south Manchester, North West England, by officers from Counter Terror Policing North West. They remain in custody for questioning in connection to the Colleyville incident.[40] According to an NBC report, the two teenagers are Akram's sons. NBC also reported that law enforcement did not believe anyone else was involved.[41]

Reactions

Cytron-Walker expressed gratitude and thanks "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."[28]

Officials in the White House monitored the situation,[11] and President Biden called it "an act of terror."[35] British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss condemned the incident, calling it an antisemitic act of terror.[20] Livia Link, the Israeli Consul General in Houston, Texas, attended the scene, and the Israeli government established contact with U.S. law enforcement regarding the situation.[42] The Washington Post reported that the incident had shaken Jewish communities in the United States and around the world,[21] and Haaretz reported that Jewish leaders condemned the FBI's suggestion that the incident may not be antisemitic.[8]

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has called for the release of Siddiqui and asserted that she is innocent,[43] condemned the incident as "an act of pure evil."[44] The attorney who represents Siddiqui said she had "absolutely no involvement with [the hostage crisis]" and that they condemn the incident, asking Akram to turn himself in.[45] The Facebook page for the Muslim community in Akram's hometown of Blackburn wrote, "Faisal Akram has sadly departed from this temporary world and returned to his Creator...May the Almighty forgive all his sins and bless him with the highest ranks of Paradise. May Allah give strength and patience to his loved ones in dealing with their loss."[46]

Many Jewish institutions and synagogues in the US and Canada have reportedly prepared for more attacks.[47][48]

During the aftermath of the hostage situation, the Anti-Defamation League released a report documenting conspiracy theories and anti-semitic responses to the crisis, including false claims that the incident was an inside job by the US government. QAnon supporters termed the survivors "crisis actors" and the attack a false flag operation. The document also criticized Islamophobic reactions to the attack, recording the use of the derogatory slur Paki. Far-right political commentator Gavin McInnes posted that "maybe we should consider cutting Islam out of our ‘interfaith’ communities", which the ADL denounced as Islamophobic.[49] The ADL issued resources to counter hate and misinformation.[50]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Frosch, Dan (January 16, 2022). "Texas Hostage Taker Identified as British Citizen Who Traveled to U.S. in Recent Days". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Gill, Dia (January 16, 2022). "Synagogue Hostage-Taker Had 'Mental Health Issues,' Brother Says". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Hensley, Nicole (January 15, 2022). "Synagogue hostage case has strong ties to Houston — where Aafia Siddiqui once lived". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Johnson, Kaley (January 16, 2022). "Who is Aafia Siddiqui? 'Lady al-Qaida,' in Fort Worth prison, was arrested after 9/11". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Timsit, Annabelle; Mekhennet, Souad; McCoy, Terrence (January 16, 2022). "Who is Aafia Siddiqui? Texas synagogue hostage-taker allegedly sought release of 'Lady al-Qaeda'". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Harkay, Jessika; Hartley, James; Ramirez, Domingo Jr. (January 16, 2022). "Texas officials say all hostages safe, out of Colleyville synagogue; hostage-taker dead". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c d Bleiberg, Jake; Tucker, Eric; Balsamo, Michael (January 16, 2022). "Hostages safe after Texas synagogue standoff; captor dead". Associated Press. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Dodds, Io (January 17, 2022). "Malik Faisal Akram: Everything we know about the Texas synagogue hostage-taker". The Independent. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  9. ^ Scroggins, Deborah (2012). Wanted women : faith, lies, and the war on terror : the lives of Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Aafia Siddiqui. New York, NY: Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-209795-8. OCLC 793385710.
  10. ^ Hughes, C. J. (February 4, 2010). "Pakistani Scientist Found Guilty of Shootings". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e Marsden, Ariella (January 15, 2022). "Gunman holds hostages at synagogue in Texas". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d Williams, Michael (January 15, 2022). "Colleyville police SWAT team involved in incident at synagogue". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Winter, Tom; Dienst, Jonathan; Cardona, Claire; Romero, Dennis (January 15, 2022). "Man holding people in Colleyville, Texas, synagogue dead; hostages released safely". NBC News. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c d Sandoval, Edgar (January 15, 2022). "The synagogue is a tight knit community that came together in the 1990s". The New York Times. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c "Lansing native freed from Texas synagogue 'grateful to be alive'". The Detroit News. January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022 – via Associated Press.
  16. ^ Kampeas, Ron; Lapin, Andrew (January 15, 2022). "All Texas synagogue hostages 'out alive and safe' after harrowing 12-hour standoff, suspect is dead". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved January 15, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ Rudoren, Jodi (January 15, 2022). "'His entire persona is listening and dialogue': Meet the Texas rabbi held hostage for 11 hours". Daily Forward. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  18. ^ Lapin, Andrew (January 16, 2022). "Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, the 'mensch' liked even by the man who took him hostage". The Times of Israel. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d "Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker shares what happened inside Texas synagogue during hostage crisis". CBS News. January 17, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  20. ^ a b c "Texas synagogue hostage-taker was British". BBC News. January 16, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  21. ^ a b c Witte, Griff; Barrett, Devlin; Beachum, Lateshia; Knowles, Hannah; Hassan, Jennifer; Villegas, Paulina (January 16, 2022). "Texas synagogue hostage-taker identified as 44-year-old British man". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  22. ^ a b Dearden, Lizzie (January 17, 2022). "Texas synagogue siege: British hostage-taker Faisal Akram 'ranted about 9/11 attacks'". The Independent. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  23. ^ "'Menace' banned by court". Lancashire Telegraph. September 22, 2001. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i Siddique, Haroon; Laughland, Oliver (January 16, 2022). "Texas synagogue siege: hostage-taker named as 44-year-old Briton". The Guardian. Retrieved January 16, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ a b Tomlinson, Hugh; Yeomans, Emma; Janjua, Haroon (January 17, 2022). "Texas synagogue siege: teenagers arrested in UK as hostage taker named". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  26. ^ a b Osborne, Ryan; Freedman, Pete; Cruz, Alex (January 15, 2022). "Hostage situation at North Texas synagogue ends with all hostages safe and suspect dead, authorities say". WFAA. Retrieved January 15, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. ^ "Police chief: Synagogue is still an active crime scene with bomb technicians on site". CNN. January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h Delkic, Melina (January 16, 2022). "'Grateful to Be Alive': What We Know About the Synagogue Hostage Rescue". The New York Times. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  29. ^ Mendick, Robert; Heap, Emily-Jane; Sabur, Rozina (January 16, 2022). "Texas synagogue siege: Two teens arrested in Manchester as family of British terrorist reveal they spoke with him during standoff". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Hostages Rescued Safely, Suspect Dies in Texas Synagogue Standoff". The New York Times. January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  31. ^ @bungarsargon (January 16, 2022). "CNN has a member of the targeted synagogue reporting that the man holding members hostage told the community via livestream that he flew 5,000 miles to find the synagogue closest to the Fort Worth prison, and that there was a lot of anti-Israel invective in his commentary" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  32. ^ Philissa, Cramer (January 16, 2022). "Texas synagogue gunman spoke twice to Rabbi Angela Buchdahl in New York City". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  33. ^ Magid, Jacob (January 17, 2022). "Texas rabbi: Hostages managed to escape as gunman became 'increasingly belligerent'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  34. ^ @ByJamesHartley (January 16, 2022). "Hearing what sounds like gunshots and a much louder bang, possibly a flash grenade" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  35. ^ a b Texas synagogue hostage taker a British citizen, FBI says, Reuters (January 16, 2022).
  36. ^ a b c Yandoli, Krystie Lee (January 16, 2022). "A British Citizen Was Identified As The Man Who Took Hostages At A Texas Synagogue". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  37. ^ Hassan, Jennifer; Booth, William (January 17, 2022). "Texas synagogue hostages fled after rabbi threw chair". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  38. ^ a b Hutchinson, Bill (January 16, 2022). "Texas rabbi 'grateful to be alive' as synagogue hostage-taking suspect ID'd". ABC News. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  39. ^ Wallace, Danielle (January 16, 2022). "Texas synagogue accused hostage taker was British national". Fox News. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  40. ^ Holt, James (January 16, 2022). "Breaking: Teenagers arrested in Manchester in relation to Texas Synagogue attack". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  41. ^ "Hostage-taker at Texas synagogue identified as British citizen". NBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  42. ^ @yairlapid (January 15, 2022). "I spoke tonight with Livia Link, Israel's Consul General in Houston who is on her way to the scene of the incident, and was updated on what's happening on the ground. We are closely monitoring the hostage situation and are in close contact with American law enforcement agencies" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  43. ^ https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/01/16/man-holding-people-in-colleyville-texas-synagogue-dead-all-hostages-released-safely.html
  44. ^ Shelby Tauber and Daphne Psaledakis, FBI storms Texas synagogue to release hostages, gunman dead, Reuters (January 16, 2022).
  45. ^ Vogt, Adrienne; Wagner, Meg (January 15, 2022). "Hostage situation at Texas synagogue". CNN. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  46. ^ Macpherson, Jon (January 16, 2022). "Hostage taker shot dead in Texas named as Blackburn man Malik Faisal Akram". Lancs Live. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  47. ^ "Canadian institutions brace themselves after the Colleyville hostage situation". The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  48. ^ "Jewish buildings in some parts of Canada had police patrols ramped up due to the Texas synagogue hostage situation". The Canadian Jewish News. January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  49. ^ "Extremists Respond to Colleyville Hostage Crisis with Antisemitism, Islamophobia". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  50. ^ "Analysis & Resources: Hostage Situation at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, TX". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved January 17, 2022.


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