News

British man identified as Texas synagogue hostage-taker

Published

4 years ago

January 17, 2022

William Howard

The man who took four hostages at a Texas synagogue has been identified as a 44-year-old British citizen

Malik Faisal Akram interrupted a morning service on Saturday and died after a 10-hour standoff with police.

The incident began at around 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT) when police were called to the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue

During the standoff, there were reports of both explosions and gunfire… but all four hostages were freed and are unharmed.

Negotiators spent hours speaking with the assailant, with the hostage-taker demanding the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist who is serving an 86-year prison term in the US.

Biden's FBI: The Islamist terrorist, who held Jews hostage at a Texas synagogue, on Sabbath, was “singularly focused on one issue” that was not “specifically related to the Jewish community.

He then adds “We are continuing to work to find motive.” pic.twitter.com/RUPFhORWbs
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) January 16, 2022

This neuroscientist was previously convicted of trying to kill American military officers while in custody in Afghanistan.

US President Joe Biden has labelled the hostage situation as “an act of terror” and says his country will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of its citizens.

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William Howard

William is an Executive News Producer at TICKER NEWS, responsible for the production and direction of news bulletins. William is also the presenter of the hourly Weather + Climate segment. With qualifications in Journalism and Law (LLB), William previously worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) before moving to TICKER NEWS. He was also an intern at the Seven Network's 'Sunrise'. A creative-minded individual, William has a passion for broadcast journalism and reporting on global politics and international affairs.

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