NationStates

Authorities northeast of Fort Worth are negotiating with a man who has apparently taken people hostage at a Colleyville synagogue during services. It is unclear if anyone is injured and how the man may be armed.

The service was being livestreamed on Facebook, and the live recording, which has since been taken down, captured muffled audio of what sounded like negotiations with police.

Colleyville police said they are conducting SWAT operations in the 6100 block of Pleasant Run Road, the location of Congregation Beth Israel.

All residents in the immediate area are being evacuated, and people are asked to avoid the area.

Commenters on a Facebook livestream of a service at the synagogue said a man there is holding people hostage. An angry man could be heard ranting on the livestream, at times talking about religion. The video did not show what is happening in the building.

The man has repeatedly mentioned his sister and Islam and used profanities. At one point, another voice can be heard apparently talking on the phone to police. The man has said a few times he didn’t want anyone hurt, and he has mentioned his children.

He also said repeatedly he believes he is going to die.

It’s unclear how many people are in the synagogue. Commenters on the livestream are offering prayers for Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker. More than 8,000 viewers were watching the livestream.

Stellar Colonies wrote:One hostage out of the four taken has apparently been released.

Cannot think of a name wrote:

Stellar Colonies wrote:One hostage out of the four taken has apparently been released.

Your link updated, everyone is free after a bunch of noise.

Cannot think of a name wrote:

Stellar Colonies wrote:One hostage out of the four taken has apparently been released.

Your link updated, everyone is free after a bunch of noise.

Marwa Elbially, Aafia Siddiqui’s lawyer, told The Independent that she has no idea who the hostage taker is and that he has no connection to the Siddiqui family.

“He has no relation to the family, no relation to the supporters, nothing,” Ms Elbially said. “We have no idea where this guy came from.... we don’t know who he is and why he decided to do the irrational thing he’s doing now.”

Though she has not spoken to Aafia Siddiqui since the attack began, she said her client would “condemn this and not support this in any way” and had “always maintained that no violence should be done in her name”. She said her client maintains her innocence.

An initial report from ABC News on Saturday said the suspect was claiming to be Siddiqui’s brother Muhammad and said he had bombs in unknown locations, citing a US government official briefed on the matter.

In the live stream, he repeatedly refers to the prisoner as his “sister”, telling the other person: “I care about her, that's why I'm doing it”. Later he asks: “Are you going to get my sister on the phone or not?”

However, activists campaigning for Aafia Siddiqui’s release said that they were in contact with her actual brother, an architect who lives in Houston, and that he had nothing to do with the attack, which they condemned as “wicked” and “antisemitic”.

“We want to make it very well known that the hostage-taker is NOT Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s brother, who is not even in the same region where this horrible incident is taking place,” said a joint statement from the Free Dr Afia campaign and the Houston branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair).

Hemakral wrote:

Cannot think of a name wrote:Your link updated, everyone is free after a bunch of noise.

So, this thread is dead and should be locked, yeah?

Picairn wrote:The gunman claimed to be Muhammad Siddiqui, brother of Aafia Siddiqui (an alleged terrorist from Pakistan serving 86 years in a Texas prison for attempting to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan), but according to Aafia's lawyer and activists he's likely an impostor (sorry, can't resist).

SUS

Marwa Elbially, Aafia Siddiqui’s lawyer, told The Independent that she has no idea who the hostage taker is and that he has no connection to the Siddiqui family.

“He has no relation to the family, no relation to the supporters, nothing,” Ms Elbially said. “We have no idea where this guy came from.... we don’t know who he is and why he decided to do the irrational thing he’s doing now.”

Though she has not spoken to Aafia Siddiqui since the attack began, she said her client would “condemn this and not support this in any way” and had “always maintained that no violence should be done in her name”. She said her client maintains her innocence.

An initial report from ABC News on Saturday said the suspect was claiming to be Siddiqui’s brother Muhammad and said he had bombs in unknown locations, citing a US government official briefed on the matter.

In the live stream, he repeatedly refers to the prisoner as his “sister”, telling the other person: “I care about her, that's why I'm doing it”. Later he asks: “Are you going to get my sister on the phone or not?”

However, activists campaigning for Aafia Siddiqui’s release said that they were in contact with her actual brother, an architect who lives in Houston, and that he had nothing to do with the attack, which they condemned as “wicked” and “antisemitic”.

“We want to make it very well known that the hostage-taker is NOT Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s brother, who is not even in the same region where this horrible incident is taking place,” said a joint statement from the Free Dr Afia campaign and the Houston branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair).

Antipatros wrote:Aafia Siddiqui is featured heavily in al Qaeda and other Sunni extremist propaganda as a victim of the US War on Terror. Her case is also very controversial in Pakistan.

Archinstinct wrote:

Antipatros wrote:Aafia Siddiqui is featured heavily in al Qaeda and other Sunni extremist propaganda as a victim of the US War on Terror. Her case is also very controversial in Pakistan.

Who?

Kazak Yeli wrote:No doubt many people will be unhappy that the perpetrator is of a different ideology than they would've liked him to be.

Kazak Yeli wrote:No doubt many people will be unhappy that the perpetrator is of a different ideology than they would've liked him to be.

Kazak Yeli wrote:No doubt many people will be unhappy that the perpetrator is of a different ideology than they would've liked him to be.

Antipatros wrote:Texas synagogue siege: hostage-taker shot dead by FBI believed to be British

Antipatros wrote:Texas synagogue siege: hostage-taker shot dead by FBI believed to be British

-Astoria- wrote:

Kazak Yeli wrote:No doubt many people will be unhappy that the perpetrator is of a different ideology than they would've liked him to be.

Press X to doubt.

Isle of Westland wrote:

Antipatros wrote:Texas synagogue siege: hostage-taker shot dead by FBI believed to be British

Hmmm yes, Barry Smith 56 from Wetherby perpetrated this attack.

Ethel mermania wrote:

Isle of Westland wrote:Hmmm yes, Barry Smith 56 from Wetherby perpetrated this attack.

The brit shoe bomber's name is Robert Reid.

Antipatros wrote:Texas synagogue siege: hostage-taker shot dead by FBI believed to be British

Grenartia wrote:

Antipatros wrote:Texas synagogue siege: hostage-taker shot dead by FBI believed to be British

So, on topic. why did he lie about being her brother?

Roegerland wrote:

Grenartia wrote:
So, on topic. why did he lie about being her brother?

Perhaps he meant sister in a religious sense? I've heard it used in this context before.

Kazak Yeli wrote:No doubt many people will be unhappy that the perpetrator is of a different ideology than they would've liked him to be.