A rabbi and three others were taken hostage during a Bar Mitzvah celebration at the reform Beth Israel
Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, on Saturday.
According to ABC, the gunman said he was Muhammad Siddiqui, brother of Pakistani Aafia Siddiqui, who is serving an 86-year prison sentence for killing an FBI agent. The FBI, however, said that they were not able to confirm his identity.
The gunman demanded to meet with his sister in negotiations with the FBI as well as have her released.
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Colleyville Police first warned the public of the situation at 11:30 a.m. local time. Another tweet two hours later updated that the hostage situation was still in progress.
The area surrounding the synagogue was urgently evacuated, though local news claims there does not seem to be a threat to the general public.
The incident was initially being live-streamed from inside the synagogue for the Bar Mitzvah service. The gunman was heard saying, “If anyone tries to enter this building, I’m telling you… everyone will die.”
“I’m going to die. Don’t cry about me,” the man repeated over and over.
The stream continued for several minutes where the gunman could be heard threatening the hostages before it was cut off. It is unclear who ended the live stream.
One of the hostages was the congregation’s Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker who is said to give his heart and soul to the community.
Police and the FBI gathered at a nearby school where they were preparing in tactical gear. An FBI SWAT team was on the scene and police asked the public to stay inside
A White House official told CNN that they were monitoring the situation.
The Beth Israel congregation was officially established on July 18, 1999, with 25 member families and affiliation with the Union of Reform Judaism. Services were held in a rented church facility on Industrial Blvd. in Colleyville, and the religious school opened under the direction of Sue Feingold with 75 children enrolled.
The congregation was established by a group of families that had relocated from other areas in the country.
This is a developing story.
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