Colleyville in Texas was ground zero for a hostage situation that stretched for more than 10 hours on Saturday. Even though the situation has been majorly contained, law enforcement officials said that the synagogue remains to be an active crime scene.
Here is how the events unfolded:
The synagogue was holding a Sabbath on Saturday, which was being live-streamed on social media platforms for viewers. Media reports suggest the suspect was seen entering the area. The individual went on to take four hostages in the synagogue.
Law enforcement officials were deployed to the scene, including officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. An FBI crisis negotiator established contact with the suspect and confirmed that no one had been injured so far. It is unclear if the suspect was armed.
World and national executives are reeled in and are made aware of the situation. These include United States President Joe Biden, Israel Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz.
Dara Nelson, a sergeant with the Colleyville Police Department, said in a statement that one of the hostages from the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue had been released. The identity of the hostage was not revealed.
A few hours into the situation, media reports then linked the suspect– believed to be Muhammad Siddiqui— to a Texas convict and prisoner Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year sentence.
The lawyer of Aafia Siddiqui spoke to CNN and cleared that she has “absolutely no involvement” in the hostage situation in Texas’ Colleyville.
After a few hours of minimal activity, a loud bang was heard from the synagogue, followed by a round of gunfire. Moments after the development, Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted that all the hostages had come out safely.
In a press conference, law enforcement officers revealed that the suspect — whose identity was not disclosed to the public– announced that the man had died.
The FBI identified the suspect as Malik Faisal Akram.