Gunman standoff at Texas synagogue was known to UK security services, official says

They have said that US officials based their beliefs about Akram’s motivation from discussions with him during hostage talks and audio from livestreams of the Sabbath service in which the hostages were taken.

A US law enforcement source told CNN that Akram had arrived in the US in late December on a flight to New York. A US federal law enforcement source said he arrived in the US legally and was screened before his arrival. The source said he was not on any US government watch list.

The UK Counter Terrorism Police for Greater Manchester said on Sunday that two teenagers were arrested in south Manchester, England, in connection with the Texas incident and were awaiting questioning. British officials said Akram was a resident of Blackburn, an industrial town of 121,000 north-west of Manchester.

Investigators are probing how Akram traveled from New York to Texas.

According to the shelter’s CEO Bruce Butler, between January 6 and 13, Akram spent three nights at Union Gospel Mission Dallas, a homeless shelter. “We were a way station for him,” he said. “He had a plan. He was very calm. He was in and out.”

Akram left the mission for the last time on Thursday, according to his records.

Akram’s brother said the family was “absolutely devastated” by his actions and they “wholeheartedly apologize to all the victims,” ​​he wrote in a statement on Facebook, adding that the family was in contact with police during the incident. . The statement said that Akram was suffering from mental health problems.

Rabbi ‘full of gratitude’

He said the massive ordeal in Collyville – staying at gunpoint for hours and making a bold but terrifying escape – is difficult to process, but the wave of support from his community and others around the world made him optimistic that his congregation Will be fine

Saturday’s attack “could have been so much worse, and I’m overflowing, actually overflowing with gratitude,” Citroen-Walker said Monday.

Members of the congregation who were taken hostage were credited with safety courses, including active shooter training, that helped them pass the test.

The rabbi acknowledged that the trauma of the incident went beyond those who were trapped in the synagogue and spread to all members of the congregation, including some who had seen it on a livestream of the Sabbath service.

Seeing the incident, Silverman was “horrified and heartbroken,” she said.

The hostages describe how they escaped

Silverman said the hostage taker was sometimes “shouting hysterically” and sometimes speaking different languages.

As the hours passed, he “became increasingly belligerent and threatening,” Citroen-Walker has said.

When the gunman began to shout and the circles realized they were hostages, Cohen said he quickly dialed 911, put the phone down, and followed the hostage taker’s instructions.

“But not exactly what was ordered,” he said on Facebook. “Instead of going to the back of the room, I queued up with an exit.”

As the hours passed, Cohen said he slowly began to move some of the chairs in front of him. “Anything to slow down or turn a bullet or shrapnel,” he said.

During the hostage situation, Cohen said they all worked to keep the gunman engaged in conversation. “As long as he was talking and somewhat calm, we bought the FBI time to position.”

Colville police said one of the hostages was released unharmed around 5 p.m.

Hours later, Citron-Walker saw its inauguration. “When I saw an occasion where he wasn’t in good shape, I made sure the two gentlemen who were still with me were ready to leave. The exit wasn’t too far away,” he told CBS News. “I told them to leave. I threw a chair at the gunman and I headed for the door, and the three of us were able to get out without even firing a shot.”

The suspect was shot by an FBI team after the hostages fled around 9 p.m.

Faith-based communities will continue to be targets of violence, federal officials warn

Akram talks about Siddiqui, a federal prisoner in Fort Worth, Cohen told CNN.

“He wanted this woman to be released and he wanted to talk to her… He clearly said that he chose this synagogue because ‘Jews control the world. Jews control the media. Jewish banks’ I want to talk to the chief rabbi of the United States,” Cohen told CNN on Monday.

“I wish I had a magic wand. I wish I could take away all of our pain and struggle,” Citron-Walker said at the healing service. “I know this breach of our spiritual home was painful for each of us. And not just us. In the road ahead, it’s going to be a process.”

According to the letter received, online forums linked to domestic violent extremists have circulated conspiracy theories about COVID-19, the outcome of the 2020 election, and “even the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the resettlement of Afghans in the United States”. linked to Jewish goals. CNN.