She said it sounded like the man was talking to the police department on the phone, with the rabbi and another person trying to help with the negotiations.Ĭolleyville, a community of about 26,000 people, is about 15 miles (23 kilometers) northeast of Fort Worth. “He was clearly in extreme distress.”įrancis, who grew up near Colleyville, tuned in after she read about the hostage situation. If you make a mistake, this is all on you.’ And he’d laugh at that,” she said.
He was pretty irritated and the more irritated he got, he’d make more threats, like ‘I’m the guy with the bomb. She said she heard the man rant against America and claim he had a bomb. Texas resident Victoria Francis told the AP that she watched about an hour of the livestream before it cut out. Syed said CAIR’s support and prayers were with the people being held in the synagogue. Multiple people heard the hostage-taker refer to Siddiqui as his “sister” on the livestream, but Faizan Syed, the executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations in Dallas Fort-Worth Texas, told The Associated Press that Siddiqui’s brother, Mohammad Siddiqui, was not involved. A Meta company spokesperson later confirmed that Facebook removed the video. I don’t want to see this guy dead.” Moments later, the feed cut out. Shortly before 2 p.m., the man said, “You got to do something. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that an angry man could be heard ranting and talking about religion at times during the livestream, which didn’t show what was happening inside the synagogue.
The services were being livestreamed on the synagogue’s Facebook page for a time. and people were evacuated from the surrounding neighborhood soon after that, FBI Dallas spokesperson Katie Chaumont said. Police were first called to the synagogue around 11 a.m. The officials said investigators have not positively identified the man and cautioned that the information was based on a preliminary investigation.Ī 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. He also said he wanted to be able to speak with her, according to the officials. The hostage-taker was heard demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, the Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to al-Qaida, the officials said. A law enforcement official said the first hostage who was released was not the rabbi.Īuthorities are still trying to discern a precise motive for the attack. The man was expected to be reunited with his family and did not require medical attention. The Colleyville Police Department said one hostage was released uninjured shortly after 5 p.m. In the past few years, antisemitism has reached a high-water mark in the United States, with some of the worst incidents happening in our own city.” “Unfortunately, being on edge and being vigilant is very much part of the current American Jewish experience. Locally in Texas, ADL is on the ground, working with the families, law enforcement and the broader community. “Nationally, we are in constant communication with our extensive national law enforcement network and our Center on Extremism is ready to respond with real-time resources to law enforcement, the community, and the media. Our hearts are with the hostages, their families, friends, and the entire Jewish community of Colleyville and around the country. “We are devastated and outraged over the ongoing hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, a longtime ADL partner. ADL Los Angeles Regional Director Jeffrey I.