Hostage drama in Texas ends, suspect shot dead

A 10-hour hostage drama in Texas ends, with all hostages freed and the suspect dead. The drama began when an armed suspect took a rabbi and three others hostage at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville before noon Saturday, claiming to have planted bombs at a number of unspecified locations.
According to Colleyville Police Chief Michael Miller, an elite FBI hostage rescue team breached the synagogue at about 9 p.m. local time and rescued the hostages. Miller and FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno confirmed the suspect was dead in a “shooting incident,” but did not provide specifics.
DeSarno said they were aware of the suspect’s identity, but were not releasing his name.
The suspect had claimed to be armed and said that his backpack contained explosives, however law enforcement officers would not confirm whether he did have citing an ongoing investigation.
Although authorities would not confirm the demands made by the hostage-taker, multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News he was demanding the release of convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui.
Siddiqui is incarcerated at Carswell Air Force Base near Fort Worth, according to the source. She had alleged ties to al-Qaida and was convicted of assault and attempted murder of a U.S. soldier in 2010 and sentenced to 86 years in prison.
DeSarno said they had been in contact with the hostage taker all day but that there was no evidence of a larger plot, with police still investigating.
The scene was attended by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, local enforcement services and hostage negotiators.
Police departments in a number of American cities, including New York and Los Angeles, said Saturday they were stepping up patrols at synagogues and other locations associated with the Jewish community out of an abundance of caution.
The Dallas Police Department is deploying additional patrols to city synagogues and other sites “as a precaution,” Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said on Twitter Saturday afternoon.
“Police are working with the Jewish Federation and our local, state, and federal partners to monitor any concerns or threats based on the situation in Colleyville,” he added.
The USA has a history of hostage dramas, and as this one in Texas ends with the suspect shot dead, you do wonder why those involved take the chance when the outcome always seems to be the same.

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