closeicon
World

Hostages freed and gunman killed at Texas Synagogue after standoff with police

The FBI have launched an investigation into the attacker

articlemain

The FBI in Texas has killed the gunman responsible for taking hostages in a synagogue just outside Dallas.

A gunman is believed to have taken several hostages at the Beth Israel congregation, during their Shabbat service yesterday afternoon. After a tense standoff which lasted over 11 hours, an FBI team stormed the building to free the hostages. All were freed unharmed.

The local police department in Colleyville confirmed they conducted SWAT operations, with the FBI leading the hostage negotiations, managing to free one of the hostages before they stormed the synagogue.

Local journalists have said that the hostage-taker was heard to have a British accent, but this has yet to be confirmed by official sources. According to video circulating on social media, over 8,000 people were watching a livestream of the Saturday afternoon service. It is not known how many people were in attendance at the synagogue.

During the siege at the synagogue, the gunman was heard repeatedly demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently imprisoned in a nearby prison on terror charges.

Several prominent Jewish figures including Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that they were monitoring events in Texas.

The governor of the state, Greg Abbott also tweeted that his "prayers were answered" after news broke that all the hostages had been freed safely.

In a press conference after the hostages were freed, the FBI said that they knew the man's identity but were choosing not to release it to the public. According to Matthew DeSarno, the FBI special agent who led the rescue operation, the captor was "singularly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community.”

Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, one of the Beth Israel hostages, has posted on Facebook, saying he is "grateful to be alive".


Beth Israel describes itself as: "a welcoming Reform Jewish community that serves individuals and families in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area."

Charlie Cytron-Walker has been the rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, TX since 2006. 

Share via

Want more from the JC?

To continue reading, we just need a few details...

Want more from
the JC?

To continue reading, we just
need a few details...

Get the best news and views from across the Jewish world Get subscriber-only offers from our partners Subscribe to get access to our e-paper and archive