Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, said in a tweet on Saturday that all hostages held in the Colleyville synagogue are “out alive and safe.” 

According to Associated Press reports citing police officials, the man who held hostages in the Texas synagogue is dead.

Law enforcement officials will be addressing the media at 11:15 p.m. ET (9:45 AM IST) to provide further details about the incident, which stretched to nearly 10 hours on Saturday.

Also Read: Hostage situation: Aafia Siddiqui’s lawyer slashes link to synagogue crisis

Minutes before the announcement, a loud bang followed by a short but rapid blast of gunfire was heard from the scene, according to reports from CNN.

The identity of the hostages  has not been revealed by the law enforcement authorities so far. However, one of the four hostages is believed to be a rabbi. 

The FBI identified the suspect as Malik Faisal Akram.

The Colleyville Police Department said one hostage was released uninjured shortly after 5 PM Saturday. The man was expected to be reunited with his family and did not require medical attention. A law enforcement official said the first hostage who was released was not the rabbi.

Authorities are still trying to discern a precise motive for the attack. The hostage-taker was heard demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaida, the officials said. He also said he wanted to be able to speak with her, according to the officials, according to reports from Associated Press.

Also Read: Colleyville synagogue hostage situation: White House, Israel Prime Minister monitoring the situation

The officials said investigators have not positively identified the man and cautioned that the information was based on a preliminary investigation.

A rabbi in New York City received a call from the rabbi believed to be held hostage in the synagogue to demand Siddiqui’s release, a law enforcement official said. The New York rabbi then called 911.

(With AP inputs)