WASHINGTON: The worshipers invited foreigners into the Texas synagogue when he knocked on their door and offered him tea before he branded a gun and held them in a 10-hour FBI siege called “a problem related to terrorism, where the Jewish community was targeted “.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who was among the four congregations arrested on Saturday, Jewish Sabbath, told CBS on Monday that he and the others managed to escape after he threw a chair to the exit and then rushed to the exit.
The FBI identified the man as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen.
“When I took it, I lived with him.
Make tea is an opportunity for me to talk to him.
And at that time, I didn’t hear anything suspicious.
Some stories didn’t add enough, so I was a little curious, but that wasn’t necessarily The usual thing, “said Rabi.
Rabi again prayed, after that he said he was “hearing clicks – and it could be – but it turned out it was a weapon”.
A hostage was released without being injured after six hours of tense negotiations were assisted by the suspect’s family.
The incident ended with a shot with the suspect to die because the member of the FBI hostage rescue team stormed the synagogue.
It is not clear whether the Gunman took his own life or was killed by a member of the FBI team.
The FBI said the combined terrorist task force was investigating the incident.
Cytron-Walker, Rabbi in the Congregation of Beth Israel in Colleyville, West Dallas, Texas, said he draws hostage training from the FBI to determine when to escape.
“When I saw the opportunity where he was not in a good position, I made sure that the two men were still with me, that they were ready to leave, (and that) the exit was not too far away,” Cytron-Walker said.
“I told them to leave.
I threw a chair towards The Gunman, and I headed to the door, and the three of us could get out without a fired shot.” Police in England said they held two teenagers to be questioned in connection with this case.
Hatred crimes targeting US Jewish communities is more than half of all religious-based crimes nationally, the anti-defamation league said.