Texas officials say all hostages safe, out of Colleyville synagogue; hostage-taker dead
Read more at:
Aye; the AP just updated their story to note the death of the captor.
They’re doing a live press conference on CNN right now. I’m glad the hostages are safe.
I streamed CNN for a short while and saw only the usual talking head speculating about future attacks. Anyway, from the sounds that were described, it appears they disoriented the captor with a flash-bang device and then shot him. A risky proposition, but probably the only expedient solution.
That’s what I got from it as well. I’m so sorry for all of the victims.
I’m thankful they got the hostages out.
It could have been worse if people had attended in person. I assume they were live streaming from home.
The hostage taker was British and seems to have flown to the US in order to free Aafia Siddiqui by taking hostages. His family say he was mentally disturbed and his brother tried to talk to him during the siege.
I guess the investigation will try to establish whether he acted alone and whether there were any warnings that were missed.
“It’s sad. This is America. You’re supposed to be able to be safe everywhere you go,” [Suzanne Hughes] added.
Nope. Texas.
My big question is how a British citizen was able to fly to Texas and get a gun in less than a month. How would he know the underground culture well enough to do that without other people helping him.
For ex: I could illegally get a gun for someone who isn’t allowed to possess, but that person has to be someone who means a lot to me. I wouldn’t risk such a thing for a stranger. And yes, I do understand that it was Texas, but I’m in AZ and the federal gun laws still apply to both states.
It’s Texas. If there’s any state where it’s possible for a foreigner to get a gun on short notice, it’s probably there. I wouldn’t be too terribly surprised if we learned the gun was purchased legally, and that he didn’t do anything wrong until he held it at someone’s head.
I’d like to add that law enforcement didn’t actually free the hostages - Rabbi Cytron-Walker waited for the right moment, then chucked a chair at the gunman, grabbed the other two guys and bolted out a door, without a shot being fired. How the hostage-taker was subsequently shot dead still hasn’t been explained.
AP story:
Its horrific that there is a need to train the congregation but thankfully they did.
Unconfirmed reports say it was a private sale. That doesn’t mean it was a legal private sale. If you read the article that Bo posted it said he was dropped off at the shelter he was staying at by someone he appeared to know well. That is going to be an interesting part of the case going forward.
I believe Texas doesn’t require a background check for private gun sales, typically known as the “gun show loophole”.
This is correct
Here’s the interview with the rabbi. If I’m ever a hostage, I hope I have a guy with this calm bravery with me.
And this is video of the hostages actually running out of the door. The terrorist appears a moment later at the door holding a gun, then disappears back inside. I don’t think the title of this video reflects what actually happened - based on the rabbi’s interview, their escape preceded FBI entry.
That’s a pretty impressive video.
Are you implying that there’s anything controversial in this, or am I reading too much into your phrasing? It sounds like they stormed the building with flashbangs, and I would assume they immediately shot him in the head. I think that’s standard tactics (not just in the U.S.) with terroristic bomb threats. There’s very limited leeway for surrender when someone has credibly threatened to detonate explosives.