Beth Van Duyne subsequently sent a text message to a journalist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to inform the newspaper the hostage taker had died, and law enforcement officials soon confirmed that fact in a late-night press conference. One hostage was released at 5 p.m., but a breach of the synagogue by an FBI hostage rescue team (HRT) enabled the other three hostages to escape shortly after 10 p.m. U.S. Dara Nelson told journalists that special negotiators for the FBI “have contact with the person in the building,” and that there was “no threat to the general public.” Earlier in the day, Colleyville Police Dept. Details about those final moments when agents stormed the building are still developing, although one of the hostages was reportedly a rabbi.įrom the early stages of the incident, authorities were convinced the threat was specific to one issue and would not endanger anyone outside the synagogue. Several hours after the first hostage was released, news outlets reported a loud bang and gunshots, and that the other three hostages were finally free. While the story was still developing, the terror suspect released one male hostage unharmed, and news reports indicated the suspect had a bag of bombs in his possession. All hostages are out alive and safe,” marking the end of a gripping drama for the lone-star state. the Texas governor tweeted, “Prayers answered.

The incident unfolded dramatically into a nail-biting standoff that captivated the nation for several hours as police and FBI agents scrambled to avert tragedy.Īt 10:33 p.m. Gregg Abbott who had been closely monitoring the crisis as it unfolded at Beth Israel, a Dallas-area Jewish synagogue where the suspect reportedly made demands to release a female Islamist terrorist. Three hostages escaped as federal agents breached the building in the late evening about five hours after one hostage had been released by a terror suspect just after 5 p.m.

A special FBI rescue team flown in from Quantico, VA worked with police and regional SWAT teams on Saturday to rescue the four hostages taken captive at a Colleyville, Texas synagogue.

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