Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker said Monday that he and two other hostages safely escaped after he threw a chair at their captor
A law enforcement vehicle sits near the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue on January 16 in Colleyville, Texas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images A nearly 11-hour hostage standoff at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, near Fort Worth ended on Saturday night after the hostages were able to stage a daring escape, allowing an FBI SWAT team to storm the building. The male captor — a 44-year-old British national named Malik Faisal Akram — was subsequently killed.
The service, which began at 10 a.m., was being livestreamed on Facebook. In the sometimes inaudible audio from the livestream, which did not show what was happening in the synagogue, an angry man could be heard ranting about various subjects including dying, not liking the police, and religion. The suspect could also periodically be heard speaking with negotiators over the phone. Per CNN:
Akram released one hostage around 5 p.m. on Saturday. Then, shortly after 9 p.m., the remaining hostages were able to seize an opportunity to flee the building. By that time, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker said Monday, Akram was becoming “increasingly belligerent and threatening” as it was clear he wasn’t going to get what he wanted. The situation “didn’t look good. It didn’t sound good. We were terrified,” he said. The rabbi then saw an opportunity to act and took it.
Early Sunday morning, Rabbi Cytron-Walker posted a message on Facebook expressing his gratitude for the outcome of the ordeal and the international outpouring of support:All of the law enforcement and first responders who cared for us,I am grateful for the CBI Community, the Jewish Community, the Human Community. The suspect The FBI identified the captor and lone suspect on Sunday as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen.
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