FBI Identifies Hostage-Taker at Texas Synagogue as Malik Faisal Akram

The FBI has identified the man who held four people hostage on Saturday at Congregation Beth Israel, a synagogue in Colleyville, TX as Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British national. After all hostages were safely released at 9pm after an 11-hour standoff, an FBI Hostage Rescue Team killed Akram. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told CNN that investigators recovered one firearm that they believe belonged to the suspect.

One of the hostages was Charlie Cytron-Walker, the lead rabbi of the synagogue. The other three hostages have not been identified. In a Facebook post on Sunday morning, Cytron-Walker expressed his appreciation for “all of the vigils and prayers and love and support” and for “all of the law enforcement and first responders who cared for us…I am grateful that we made it out. I am grateful to be alive.”

The motive is still being investigated by authorities, but the FBI said that they believe Akram “was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community.” A source familiar with the incident told CBS News that Akram “had asked for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman serving an 86-year sentence in federal prison for trying to kill U.S. officers in Afghanistan.”

 Siddiqui’s attorneys maintain that she had no knowledge of the incident or the suspect.