Members of the SWAT team deploy near Beth Israel Church Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, near Dallas, on Saturday.
Andy Jacobsohn / AFP via Getty Images
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Andy Jacobsohn / AFP via Getty Images
Members of the SWAT team deploy near Beth Israel Church Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, near Dallas, on Saturday.
Andy Jacobsohn / AFP via Getty Images
Officials said they were in contact with a man who took hostages inside a synagogue in Colleyville, about 15 miles northeast of Fort Worth. There were no reports of injuries as of Saturday night.
Police said a male hostage was released unharmed at around 5 p.m. local time. FBI crisis negotiators are continuing to speak with the man, Colleyville police said Saturday night.
First, police said they were “conducting SWAT operations” near section 6100 of the Pleasant Run shortly after 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
A Shabbat service was scheduled at Beth Israel Church at 10 a.m. A Facebook live stream of the service ended shortly before 2 p.m. The live stream has no people on screen, but sometimes a man can be heard talking loudly and angrily. Thousands of people – who had heard about the situation through online media reports – watched the Facebook stream. They wrote with comments of concern and hoped that the situation would resolve peacefully.
Colleyville Police Sgt. Dara Nelson told the Dallas Morning News Negotiators contacted a potential suspect in the building, and no injuries were reported.
Related press report Two unnamed law enforcement officials believe there are at least four hostages inside the synagogue, including the congregation’s rabbi.
The Dallas Police Department is deploying additional patrols to synagogues in Dallas and other locations, Mayor Eric Johnson said.
“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,” Johnson said. Twitter.
President Biden was briefed on the situation in Colleyville, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
“He will continue to receive updates from his senior team as the situation develops,” Psaki wrote on Twitter. “Senior members of the national security team also liaise with federal law enforcement leadership.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he is monitoring the situation and that the state’s Department of Public Safety is working with federal and local teams “to achieve the best and safest outcomes.”
