Hostages were taken during service at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, on Saturday. Residents were evacuated promptly on Saturday from the area where the hostage situation is unfolding, and the local police have instructed residents to steer clear of the area till the situation is resolved.

It is unclear how many hostages have been taken and what weaponry the hostage taker has, but the FBI are on the scene, negotiating with the hostage taker, while the Colleyville Police Department has said that SWAT operations are underway to resolve the situation as quickly and safely as possible. 

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For those unaware, Colleyville is a small city in Tarrant County, Texas and is located roughly 5.6 kilometres from the Dallas/Fort Worth airport in the state. The city is home to around 26,000 people.

As per 2017 data, Colleyville residents had an average annual household income of $207,438, with the per capita income being $72,927. With only 1.9% of the city’s population below the poverty line, Colleyville was ranked as the 10th wealthiest city in the US in 2018 by the American Community Survey (ACS).

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The city was established more than a century ago, and emerged from small rural settlements along the Cotton Belt Route. The city was originally known as Bransford when Union Army veteran and prominent physician Dr Lilburn Howard Colley settled in it back in 1880. Subsequently, in 1914, the city was renamed to Colleyville to honour Dr Colley and his contributions to the community.