The NYPD is Protecting Brooklyn Synagogues After Texas Hostage Situation Unfolded
Update: All hostages in Texas have been released. The hostage-taker is dead.(See here)
Around 11:00 am, during a service at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, a man took four people hostage. The services was live-streamed on Facebook and listeners were taken back by the demands of the hostage-taker.
The man demanded that Aafia Sidiqqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist, be released from jail.
In 2010, Aafia Sidiqqui was convicted of attempting to kill US officers in Afghanistan. She is serving an 86-year jail sentence in a federal prison. The man who took the hostages claimed he was the brother of Aafia Sidiqqui, but he is not her brother.
One male hostage was released at 6:00 pm. They are still negotiating for the other hostages.
ABC News reported that the hostage-taker was armed and had claimed to have bombs in unknown locations.
Synagogues around the United States are on alert.
In Brooklyn, around 7:00 pm, Councilwoman Inna Vernikov shared that NYPD has increased patrols outside of Brooklyn synagogues.
It’s awful that a synagogue is being used to in a hostage situation – hopefully they will get the remaining hostages out safely.
.
.
Hugs,
marlene
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »