Briton who took four hostages in Texas was on guard duty with his children when he was shot dead

The British man who took four hostages in Texas was in communication with his children when he was shot, his brother told Sky News.

Malik Faisal Akram, originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, has been kill after the FBI entered the synagogue of Congregation Beth Israel.

The shooter’s brother, Gulbar Akram, said he spoke to his brother by phone during the siege.

Texas Synagogue Siege: Aafia Siddiqui – who is the Pakistani prisoner at the center of the incident?

His brother told him, “I’m going to free these Jews, I just want them to bring Aafia Siddiqui here. I want them to bring her here and I’m going to free these guys.”

Gulbar said: “I was shocked, my mind was blown. I knew in that moment – my brother doesn’t stand a chance.

“He told me ‘I came to die’.”

“I tried to convince him, said think of your children, your mom and your dad. But his decision was made. He wanted her to be released.

“At no time did he say he was going to hurt those guys, he’s not my brother. He told us he had a bomb, but I knew he was lying. I knew he was lying. ‘he wasn’t going to make it out alive – his intent had to die.”

He said his brother was on the phone with his children when he was shot: “Why did they have to kill him? They didn’t need to do that.

“When we bring my brother’s body back, I expect there will be 10 or 12 bullet wounds in him.”

He said his brother “should never have been able to get through immigration”.

“Someone helped him. He shouldn’t have been able to board a plane without rigorous checks,” Gulbar said.

The rabbi “threw a chair at the kidnapper”

The hostage rabbi said he managed to escape after throwing a chair at his captor.

Charlie Cytron-Walker recounted how he and the three other hostages managed to escape the building without a shot being fired after a 10-hour armed standoff in Colleyville, Texas on Saturday night.

Mr. Cytron-Walker told CBS News: “The last hour or so of standoff (Akram) wasn’t getting what he wanted, he was getting… it didn’t look good, it didn’t sound Good.

“We were terrified.

“When I saw an opportunity, where he was not in a good position, I made sure that the two gentlemen who were with me…were ready to go.

“I told them to leave, threw a chair at the shooter, walked to the door and the three of us were able to get out.”

A hostage was freed six hours into the siege before Mr Cyton-Walker and the others were able to escape a few hours later.

All the hostages emerged unscathed from the confrontation.

Arrived in the United States before the New Year

Sky News understands Akram arrived in the United States via JFK International Airport in New York shortly before the New Year before buying the handgun he used in the siege.

Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted to say she had spoken with US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and “offered the full support and cooperation of the police and law enforcement agencies.” British security forces” after the “deeply disturbing incident”.

She also told the House of Commons today: “Just before questions this afternoon, I had a two-way call with my counterpart in Homeland Security in the United States.

“We’ve been working with the FBI, actually since the incident took place, and there’s a lot of intelligence sharing and work going on about it.

“Of course, with regard to our own homeland, there is a series of measures that are being taken at the moment, including protective security for the Jewish community, and this is a live investigation, so I can’t talk about the details.”

Ms Patel’s call with Mr Mayorkas came after two men were arrested in south Manchester on Sunday following the clash.

Two teenagers arrested in Manchester

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said the teenagers, whose age and gender they did not immediately confirm, remain in custody for questioning.

GMP said police forces in the region are in contact with local communities to put in place measures to provide further reassurance.

Akram’s family said they were “absolutely devastated” by what happened and “do not condone any of his actions”, according to a statement shared on the Blackburn Muslim Community Facebook page.

The statement, attributed to Akram’s brother Gulbar, who said he was involved in negotiations with his UK brother during the siege, added that the hostage taker “suffered from mental health issues”.

“An Act of Terror”

US President Joe Biden called the incident “an act of terror”.

In an update to reporters on Sunday, Mr Biden said that while he didn’t have all the details, Akram was believed to have “put the guns on the street”, adding: “He bought them when he landed.”

He said there were “no bombs that we know of” and that Akram would have “spent the first night in a homeless shelter”.

Akram has reportedly called for the release of Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui, who was convicted of attempting to kill US military officers in Afghanistan and is in jail in Texas.

Speaking to reporters after the incident, FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said they believed the man was “singularly focused on one issue and not specifically related to the Jewish community”, and added that they would continue to “work to find a motive”. .