Hostages at Colleyville Synagogue Were Rescued by Themselves, Not the FBI
“I told them to go, I threw a chair at the gunman and I headed for the door”
New details are emerging about the hostage situation at the synagogue in Colleyville, TX, over the weekend. It turns out that the FBI did not rescue the hostages. They saved themselves.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker spoke with CBS News on Monday.
Nelson Oliveira reports at CBS News:
Rabbi threw chair at gunman before he and other hostages escaped Texas synagogue: “It was terrifying”
A rabbi who was among the four hostages held during a nearly 11-hour standoff at a Texas synagogue managed to escape after throwing a chair at the gunman, he told “CBS Mornings” on Monday.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker said he and the two other remaining hostages were “terrified,” especially during the last hour of the standoff Saturday night because the suspect “wasn’t getting what he wanted.” It was at that point that Cytron-Walker saw an opportunity to act.
The rabbi said he first made sure the other hostages were ready to run and that the group wasn’t too far from the exit.
“I told them to go, I threw a chair at the gunman and I headed for the door,” he said. “And all three of us were able to get out without even a shot being fired.”
It was shortly after 9:30 p.m. local time that Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that all hostages at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville were “out alive and safe.” A fourth hostage had been released earlier that evening.
Watch the interview below:
So the bottom line here is that the rabbi was the hero, not the FBI.
The #ColleyvilleSynagogue rabbi showed incredible physical bravery, and this account indicates that in fact they were NOT rescued by the FBI. They were told to get on their knees—which implies they were about to be executed.
They needed to be rescued. Why weren't they? https://t.co/mtQHyZdP5p
— Gary Weiss (@gary_weiss) January 17, 2022
Incredible: "When I saw an opportunity where he wasn't in a good position, I made sure that the 2 gentlemen who were still with me, that they were ready to go… I told them to go. I threw a chair at the gunman and I headed for the door, and all three of us were able to get out." https://t.co/wJBRKoeKxn
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) January 17, 2022
This is also an example of why it's always worth waiting for the facts to come out in a breaking news story. Contrary to earlier reports, the Texas synagogue hostages weren't released. They escaped. Wonder what else we don't yet know. https://t.co/DTpmf3dXW0
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) January 17, 2022
Matches up with the footage caught here: https://t.co/DBso8Lxe1a
— Anat Maytal (@AnatMaytal) January 17, 2022
So to sum it up, FBI let this guy in, let him get a weapon and let him get so far as taking hostages. Then, though they put on a show, the men saved themselves, no thanks to said FBI.
Useless outfit the FBI is.— Happy Now? (@FairWitnessAnne) January 17, 2022
The FBI also got dragged for their initial claim that this attack wasn’t specifically related to the Jewish community.
Gabrielle Fonrouge reports at the New York Post:
Jewish leaders call FBI comments on Texas hostages ‘insulting’
Jewish leaders ripped the FBI on Monday and said the bureau “got it wrong” when they said the terrorist who took hostages at a Texas synagogue didn’t make demands that were “specifically related to the Jewish community,” reports said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno made the comments late Saturday when addressing reporters after four people, including a rabbi, were taken hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville by British national Malik Faisal Akram.
DeSarno noted that Akram was specifically focused on Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who was convicted in Manhattan federal court in 2010 of trying to kill US authorities in Afghanistan, and his primary demand was her immediate release from prison.
“We do believe from our engagement with this subject that he was singularly focused on one issue, and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community. But we are continuing to work to find [the] motive,” DeSarno said.
They have since changed their tune:
Newest FBI statement on Colleyville just in – per Fox’s @JakeBGibson: “This is a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted, and is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) January 17, 2022
What is going on at the FBI?
Featured image via YouTube.
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Comments
The FBI has outlived their usefulness. Actually, they outlived it the day JE Hoover showed up, but it’s time now to implode the Hoover Building. During working hours.
At least the FBI had some value before. Any comparison now to the KGB is an affront….to the KGB.
Better a sister in a whorehouse than a brother in the FBI.
Spigots on a boar, baby.
Announcer: “The FBI! In color!”
And the color is blue.
Or Chinese Red, take your pick.
Men typically save themselves. Not unusual.
A Flight 93 type response by the hotsages, for sure.
A telling moment for all of us.
The FBI has become part of the problem, not the solution.
Hey, did anyone hear Pelosi and Biden crying out for “chair control” legislation?
I’m just glad the FBI didn’t break into the building, shoot the hostages, and rescue the terrorist. It’s a fairly low bar to rate success as “At least we didn’t shoot anybody else in the vicinity.” Still, they crossed that bar, so good job guys.
Yep, they managed not to snipe any women holding babies, so that’s a positive.
Vicky Weaver could not be reached for comment.
“I’m just glad the FBI didn’t break into the building, shoot the hostages, and rescue the terrorist.”
They probably had to restrain themselves.
But, after the hostages were out and safe, the FBI did break into the building and shoot the terrorist dead in order to save the furniture.
More likely they broke in to shoot him so that they could shape the narrative without being inconvenienced by anything the terrorist could say.
Subotai Bahadur
Nothing makes your gut go icy like hearing the FBI bullhorn say, “This is not an assault!”
I”m not always the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m trying to figure out why the local SWAT couldn’t handle this.
It’s Texas. A bunch of local teenagers with their .27o’s could have handled this.
… But didn’t
Yeah, who am I kidding? Kids these days are all inside diddling their iPhones.
with their .27o’s
Huh?
Winchester .270 is probably the most popular caliber for deer hunting in Texas. It has a relatively mild recoil and shoots fairly flat out to about 300 yards. Plenty of stopping power for all but the largest N. American game. Perfect for deer hunting in Texas, and sniping terrorists. When dozens of Austinites grabbed their rifles and fired back at the UT Tower gunman, you can bet there were more than a few .270’s involved.
kudos to the rabbi–courage and poise in the moment
and this was the “elite” fbi swat team that responded?–lord–one thing to screw-up but flat shameful to lie about it
was there on the drag at the time–the old varsity theatre–unbelievable for sure–and you are absolutely correct–residents at the castillion and a couple of other apt buildings were blazing away at the tower–in the middle of it all, ut cops were on bullhorns yelling “cease fire! cease fire!”–took a while for folks to comply–whitman was using a remington 6mm if remember correctly–balls of steel to the two cops that went up to get him–neither of them had eyes on whitman as they accessed the observation deck–genuine acey-deucey–fortunately, they were successful
Deer are a lot tougher than humans. And… civilians use expanding bullets. Jack O’Conner (Outdoor Life) would have approved. The students at the University laid down suppressive fire and aided in the cops getting to the roof. Today? right…
I really think the terrorist won the lottery in choosing one of the few places of worship in TX where he would have a life span of >30 seconds longer than announcing ill intent.
I think it’s like a state record.
I guess “FBI” really is an acronym for “F-ing Bunch of Imbeciles”.
Fumbling, Bumbling, Incompetents.
FBI will now shift to investigating the Rabbi.
On serious note, would like to know more details on the shooting itself. At this point, assumptions are this was a clean shoot. Truth is, we will never know.
Well, it was a fully automatic chair used in an assault.
So, basically, the feds did nothing but shoot the Islamist A@@hole?
Not that I have a problem with that outcome.
Have they made a statement that the FBI actually shot this terrorist? Last I heard they had still not clarified if the FBI shot this piece of trash, or if he shot himself. Either way, the taxpayer is spared the expense and spectacle of a public trial for this human garbage.
If it’s anything like the 2015 Garland, TX attack, then the FIB is likely involved. The terrorist in this case had significant red flags which were conveniently ignored again.
At least this time those red flags weren’t actually in the FBI’s purview. Now, Homeland Security, OTOH…….
True. This time the FBI did not drive the Terrorist to the sight and drop him off. And, they did not drive off as soon as the shooting started. Like in Garland in 2015.
We hope. I won’t believe anything that comes out of this Administration. We’ll see what the Congressional investigation turns up….next year.
When I read about this yesterday I was pissed and disappointed. Not surprised. But what a waste of every single resource we have in this country. Those people are so fortunate to be alive.
Dead men tell no tales, nor do they leave any loose ends; historically, the only thing they leave are plenty of unanswered questions– and that ‘s the way the FBI prefers it.
Note that the rabbi didn’t kill himself.
Yet. But, he may have a terrible single-vehicle accident.
The FBI has been trash for decades, they’ve coasted off their utterly unearned reputation given to them by Hollywood as genius super-sleuths.
The only difference is that people have finally NOTICED their complete incompetence.
Lotta myths being busted recently.
FBI, swamp. CDC, swamp. DOE, swamp. DOJ, swamp. DOD, swamp.
Even the National Archives are swamp.
About the only federal department that still has a good rep is CBO.
Contradicting Biden’s claim that $30T=$0 took cojones we never see elsewhere.
FBI lying liars:
First, they said it had nothing to do with Jews. A coincidence that the Muslim searched out a synagogue on Shabbat for his hostage taking;
Then FBI agent bragged about his decision to send in the crack hostage rescue team from D.C. to save the hostages. That was a total lie. They escaped on their own volition without any help from FBI.
Then, after the hostages saved themselves, FBI stormed the place to kill the hostage taker when there was no further risk. They, obviously, didn’t want the world to hear from Akram so they offed him.
FBI lied about everything involved and proved themselves totally worthless. Hopefully they are more effective against School moms and grandmas taking selfies at the capitol.
DEFUND THE FBI.
Akram’s last words:
“Hey, it’s you! This gun you sold me is a piece of aaaaarrrgh!”
I believe the word “sold” should be “gave”, or “issued”.
Subotai Bahadur
Don’t leave out the over-dramatic use of a flash-bang.
I’m still appalled at the FBI’s tardy, begrudging admission made through clenched teeth, that this was a targeted attack by a Muslim terrorist/supremacist, against Jews. The vile Dhimmi-crats’ morally dishonest and despicable dhimmitude and attendant corruption of our national security apparatus is now so pervasive, that such obvious statements have to dragged out of these idiots.
It’s simply evil behavior that every single time a Muslim supremacist/terrorist attacks Jews, Dhimmi-crats and their Muslim supremacist, terrorist-sympathizing/rationalizing/excusing allies strive mightily to place attention not on the actual victims of the attack (Jews), but, to propagate an utterly contrived and fallacious narrative of alleged Muslim victimhood, whining about an alleged anti-Muslim “backlash” that never actually happens.
Only the vile Dhimmi-crats would be so morally bankrupt and perverse as to cast Muslims as the alleged “actual” victims of Muslim terrorist attacks.
Good for that Rabbi! He is a real leader and a man of God.