Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker described his experience at a Texas synagogue during an 11-hour standoff between an armed hostage-taker and law enforcement as being “overwhelming.”
Cytron-Walker, who serves as the rabbi for the Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, described his experience as a hostage during an interview Monday morning on CBS Mornings with hosts Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil. Cytron-Walker was one of four people held hostage at the synagogue on Saturday.
“It was terrifying,” Cytron-Walker told King. “It was overwhelming. We’re still processing. It’s been a lot.”
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An armed man, who is now dead, had taken four people as hostages inside the Beth Israel Synagogue. The FBI identified the armed hostage-taker on Sunday as being 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram.
“When I took him in, I stayed with him,” Cytron-Walker said in response to a question from Dokoupil about how long it took him to realize Akram had not stumbled upon the synagogue for shelter. “Making tea was an opportunity for me to talk with him. In that moment I didn’t hear anything suspicious.”
Law enforcement officials responded to the scene after the Colleyville Police Department announced in a tweet that it was blocking off the area surrounding the synagogue and evacuating residents. This was in response to a report that an armed man was holding the rabbi and three others hostage while demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, who is currently serving an 86-year sentence after attempting to kill a U.S. soldier.
“Some of his story didn’t quite add up, so I was a little bit curious. But, that’s not necessarily an uncommon thing,” Cytron-Walker said. “It was during prayer, while we were praying, and my back was turned, we face toward Jerusalem when we pray.”
Cytron-Walker continued to share that he “heard a click,” which ended up being Akram’s gun.
“It was terrifying. It was overwhelming. We’re still processing”: Rabbi Charlie Cytron Walker shares what he experienced inside the Texas synagogue where four hostages were held at gunpoint over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/ZX8DrQkjJj
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) January 17, 2022
Akram was heard stating that he was the brother of Siddiqui. However, the biological brother of Siddiqui, Muhammad, was not the man who was responsible for holding the people hostage, his lawyer said to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
There has been an online movement of people advocating for Siddiqui’s release from prison, with supporters of the movement claiming that she is innocent. Supporters of the movement have also staged protests, with CAIR previously hosting an event in November in support of the release of Siddiqui.
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“Prayers answered. All hostages are out alive and safe,” said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a tweet Saturday. Earlier in the day, it was reported that an uninjured male hostage had been released, the Colleyville Police Department reported.
Cytron-Walker told Dokoupil and King that while “fortunately” none of them were injured, they were “threatened the entire time.”
