By SudOuest.fr with AFP
The hostage taker died during the police intervention on Saturday evening. The FBI announced that he was of British nationality
US authorities on Sunday launched an “international scope” investigation into the man who died the day before after holding several people hostage in a Texas synagogue, calling, according to preliminary information, for the release of a Pakistani woman nicknamed “ Lady Al-Qaeda”.
The four hostages, including respected local rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, were all released unharmed on Saturday evening, prompting relief in the United States where the Jewish community and President Joe Biden have renewed calls to fight the anti-Semitism, but also in Israel, where the drama was followed closely. Biden denounced “an act of terrorism”.
The hostage-taking ended with a police intervention, a loud bang and gunshots in this synagogue in Colleyville, a town of about 23,000 inhabitants. And by the death of the hostage taker – without it being known at this stage whether he committed suicide or was shot.
The suspect was a 44-year-old British national named Malik Faisal Akram, the FBI said. “At this stage, there is no indication of the involvement of anyone else,” US federal police said in a statement, adding only that investigators were continuing to “analyze the evidence at the synagogue” and that the investigations were continuing.
According to several media, this man called in particular for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist sentenced in 2010 to 86 years in prison for having tried to shoot American soldiers while she was detained in Afghanistan.
First woman suspected by the United States of links with Al-Qaeda and nicknamed “Lady Al-Qaeda”, she is detained in a hospital-prison in Fort Worth, near Dallas. Jihadist movements had in the past called for his release.
She “is absolutely not involved”, assured her lawyer who confirmed that the man was not the brother of his client and that the latter condemned his actions.
Experts for their part pointed out that the word used by the man in Arabic was figurative and meant “sister” in the Islamic faith. This claim has not yet been confirmed by the authorities, who have also not said whether the man was armed and whether he planted bombs in the synagogue.
Adding to the spectacularity of the hostage-taking, a Facebook live broadcast of the church service was underway when the kidnapper broke in, and continued for some time.
“There is something wrong with America,” the man said. “I’m going to die,” he also said, repeatedly asking an unidentified caller that “his sister” be on the phone to him.
DeSarno did not elaborate on the suspect’s motives, saying only that, based on negotiations with law enforcement, he did not appear to want to specifically threaten the Jewish community.