(Photo: Reuters/Shelby Tauber)
By Jerusalem Post Staff - January 16, 2022
Malik Faisal Akram, a 44-year-old British citizen, was named as the hostage-taker in the Saturday incident at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced on Sunday. Akram died as police stormed the building.
According to the FBI, there is no indication that other individuals are involved in the case. However, in the early hours of Monday morning, two British teens were arrested in relation to the synagogue attack by Greater Manchester Police.
Police officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West arrested the two teenagers and they remain in custody for questioning.
Akram was from Blackburn, located north of Manchester. The Blackburn Muslim Community published a statement on Facebook, saying that he was the son of Mohammed Malik Akram and had four brothers, including one who passed away in October.
The community shared a statement by Akram's brother, Gulbar, as well.
"We are absolutely devastated as a family," wrote Gulbar. "We can’t say much now as their is an ongoing FBI investigation. We would like to say that we as a family do not condone any of his actions and would like to sincerely apologize wholeheartedly to all the victims involved in the unfortunate incident."
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