1/16 1:40 PM PT -- 01/16 -- An ABC affiliate in the Colleyville, TX area has obtained wild footage of what appears to be the moment the four hostages at the synagogue narrowly escaped in the dead of night -- and not just that ... but the moment the suspected gunman was taken down, it seems.
Check out the clip, shot by WFAA photographer Josh Stephen, which shows 4 people rush out a side door of the building ... and the perp following close behind with his own firearm. They thankfully eluded any harm, but the gunman was then left to the SWAT units on hand, which seem to have taken him out in a loud gun fight ... something you hear on the tape.
1/16 10:29 AM PT -- 01/16 -- The FBI says their man is actually 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, who died during the standoff. All 4 hostages made it out safely.
A gunman has reportedly taken several people hostage at a synagogue in Texas, and his demands are simple ... free his sister, who was once suspected of terrorist activities.
According to ABC's Aaron Katersky, the armed man who wandered into the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville Saturday has allegedly been ID'd as Muhammad Siddiqui, whom he says is claiming to be the brother of convicted felon Aafia Siddiqui.
She was sent to prison in 2010 after being found guilty of attempted murder of a U.S. military officer in Afghanistan -- among a slew of other charges -- and is serving out an 86-year sentence in the Fort Worth area. She's alleged to have had ties with al-Qaeda over the years ... and has been placed on federal law enforcement terrorism watch lists in the past.
Per Katersky, the gunman is demanding her release. Other reports say the perp claims to be armed with bombs, among other weapons ... the full extent of which is still unknown. Local law enforcement has descended on the scene to negotiate, as has the FBI.
BREAKING: "I'm going to die at the end of this" is what the Colleyville, Texas synagogue hostage taker said, shortly before the livestream ended. pic.twitter.com/lgJ6lvQRmP
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) January 15, 2022
Even crazier ... there was apparently a bar-mitzvah going on when the guy busted in, which was being live-streamed to the synagogue's FB account ... a stream that has since been deactivated. Still, some of the snippets that were captured are now surfacing, and you can hear what is presumably the hostage-taker railing on America, and saying he's willing to die.
The fact this man crashed a synagogue for hostages is not lost on those who covered the Siddiqui case. She is reported to have had strong objections to Jewish people representing her in her defense. She also asked for Jews to be tossed from the jury pool at the time.
UPDATE 1/15/22, 2:20 PM The situation at the 6100 block of Pleasant Run Road posted about earlier remains ongoing. We ask that you continue to avoid the area. We will continue to provide updates via social media.
— Colleyville Police (@ColleyvillePD) January 15, 2022
At the moment, the synagogue's rabbi and three others are believed to be among those being held captive. No word on injuries or deaths yet, but SWAT units have arrived.
Originally Published -- 1/15 1:33 PM PT