there is one full-time rabbi there, rabbi charlie walker, a married man with two daughters. israel's consul in houston libya think tweeted she's on her way to the area and they are posting monitors and receiving updates on the developing situation and colleyville, texas. she standing with the congregation at this difficult time. you know dallas police department sent patrols to monitor dallas synagogue and that's something that will happen no doubt in major cities across the country as our brothers and sisters, jewish brothers and sisters are once again dealing with this situation. they no doubt are used to a threat they face every time they walk into their synagogue on saturday to worship so we are keeping everyone in our hearts and prayers as the situation continues to unfold. jon: prayers for a peaceful outcome in this tent outcome. brian, thank you. white house monitoring hostage standoff, let's check in with lucas tomlinson live in delaware where president biden spending the weekend. >> good evening, president biden leaving mass services a few minutes ago, did not speak

we believe one of the hostages to be the rabbi charlie cytron-walker. the hostage derek was caught on the live stream talk about his sister in islam. saying he didn't want to hurt anyone, that he had children. but he repeatedly said he believe he's going to die. philadelphia, new york city, as well as dallas have stepped up security to protect jewish synagogues. the hostage derek is demanding the release of dr. aafia siddiqui the pakistani neuroscientist sentenced to 86 years for attempting to kill u.s. military members. our affiliate kdfw reports that a rabbi in new york city called 911, receiving a call from the rabbi believed to be held hostage, rabbi charlie cytron-walker. the chair of the council on american-islamic relations and the brother of dr. aafia siddiqui released a statement saying we want to make it well known the hostage taker is not where aafia siddiqui's brother. we want the hostage taker to know dr. siddiqui and her family strongly condemn this act and do not stand by you. the president of the islamic center in collieville had this to

we do know the rabbi of this congregation is charlie cintron walker. he's been a rabbi and colleyville since 2006 per this is a fairly new synagogue to the area. they moved into this building in 2005. this rabbi is married and has two daughters. from what we understand from k bf w, our affiliate source telling our fox affiliate in dallas-fort worth that a call came into new york city 911 with details from another rabbi located here in new york city who received a call from a rabbi in texas who is believed to be one of the people being held hostage. look we do not have confirmation this is charlie walker but we do know this rabbi is the only full-time rabbi of this congregation. this is the rabbi that is in charge of this synagogue. that is all we have as of right now, eric. we are still working our sources to try to get an update. we do not have any confirmation this person is armed. all we know is this person at times sounded angry on that live stream that began this morning for services at the synagogue and abruptly came to an end at about 2:00 p.m.

as rabbi charlie walker. he's been the full-time a rabbi there since 2006. this is a reform synagogue, fairly new to the community. obviously everyone in that community right now thinking about those inside as if all the situation for a quick stay with us a fox news is we continue to monitor this. we have our thoughts and our prayers are with the people inside this as well as with the brave police officers and the hostage negotiating team. the detectives who are now doing work as they are paid to do to try and defuse dangerous situations. our live coverage of the cent agog standoff texas continues right after this. now i'm ready for someone to call me mom. at northwestern mutual, our version of financial planning helps you live your dreams today. looking to get back in your type 2 diabetes zone? once-weekly ozempic® can help. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic®! ♪ ♪ oh, oh, oh ♪ ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. in adults als

. >> my rabbi, rabbi charlie cytron-walker. [ applause ] >> reporter: rabbi charlie cytron-walker was met with applause at a healing service and spoke about the daring escape. >> very few of us are doing okay right now. we'll get through this. a huge thank you to the three amazing individuals who joined me on shabbat morning to pray in person and somehow together we made it through that traumatic ordeal. >> reporter: on saturday police say british season malik faisal akram who reportedly had mental health issues entered the synagogue carrying a gun and internetened to kill hostages unless affia siddiqui was set free from a prison in nearby fort worth. one hostage, jeffrey cohen said akram did allow them to call their families. >> he claims he has a bomb. things don't look good right now. i love you and remember me. >> reporter: cohen says he and the rabbi saw their chance to escape when akram put down his gun to grab a soda. >> that's when rabbi charlie yelled run and threw the chair at him. my friend got one step in front of me. that was the guy that was feeling poorly so i grabbed h

rabbi charlie cytron-walker held a special interfaith healing service last night near dallas. the event was designed to help the community heal following the terrifying event on saturday. all four hostages made it out safely. this morning we're learning more about their daring escape. omar villafranca reports. >> it was terrifying. it was overwhelming. and we're still processing. >> reporter: appearing on cbs mornings, rabbi charlie cytron-walker described the tense 11-hour standoff at congregation beth israel and the moment he realized the man who claimed to be homeless was taking them hostage. >> i heard a click. and it could have been anything. and it turned out it was his gun. >> reporter: sources tell cbs news, 44-year-old, malik faisal akram was a british citizen who arrived at new york's jfk airport about two weeks ago. making his way to texas he stayed in a homeless shelter and somehow obtained a gun. one of the hostages said he claimed he targeted the synagogue because of its proximity to aafia siddiqui, a convicted terrorist with suspected ties to al qaeda. he demand

but all that changed saturday, as rabbi charlie walker prepared to start shabbat services. the rabbi telling cbs how the man came to the synagogue to warm up on a particularly cold morning. >> i took him in, i stayed with him. making tea was an opportunity for me to talk with him. and in that moment, i didn't hear anything suspicious. >> reporter: the man he's talking about, 44-year-old british national malik faisal akram. law enforcement reports show he arrived in the u.s. on december 29th, landing at jfk airport in new york. he did not appear on any of the government's watch lists. he may have traveled to texas a couple of days later. authorities say he spent some time at a local homeless shelter. that morning, the shabbat service was being live streamed over facebook. then it was suddenly interrupted. >> my mom woke me up and said something is going on. i think there's a hostage situation. >> reporter: synagogue members could hear akram as he took the rabbi and three others at gun point. >> he said he had a bomb. he said he had a gun. it was -- it's a nightmare. >> heari

. >>> ahead on "cbs mornings," we'll talk with rabbi charlie cytron-walker from congregation beth israel about surviving this weekend's hostage standoff. >>> north korea fired two more suspected ballistic missiles into the sea overnight. that's according to south korea's military. this is north korea's fourths weapons launch so far this month. south korea says the missiles flew about 236 miles. north korea conducted a pair of reported hypersonic missile tests earlier this month. last week the biden administration imposed new sna sanctions on the north in respond to the launches. >>> this week is one year since president biden took office. his handling of the pandemic is getting negative reviews. as of friday, it's an all-time high for the pandemic. in a cbs news/ugov poll, 49% of americans say president biden has done a good job handling the outbreak. almost a 20% drop from march, though. those who disapproved largely cited confusing messages and vaccine mandates. the same poll finds president biden's approval rating at 44%. it is the second lowest for a president after one year dating b

walker, he has been speaking to our partners in the united states and he told them that when the hostage taker arrived here on saturday, he looked like a vulnerable person, perhaps someone who did not have a home. they welcomed into the synagogue and gave them a cup of tea so they talked to him as other parts of the story did not stand up and nothing particularly suspicious. it was only much later when their praying that they turned his back towards the hostage taker and heard the click. he said it could've been anything, but it was the click of a gun it was then that their ordeal began. we also learned about what happened in the final minutes of this hostage situation on saturday night here and he said, the rabbi said the sun opportunity, here and he said, the rabbi said the saw an opportunity, they had training, him and his congregation had active shooter training that was invaluable in he said they owe their lives to that. he said that they saw an opportunity and he checked with the two men that were still with them and he threw a chair at the hostage taker and it was then that they m

the rabbi in the congregation is charlie cintron walker, the rabbi of israel in colleyville, texas. he's been there 2006. the congregation open its doors officially in 2005. he's a husband and father of two daughters. we are getting more reaction to the scene from all over the world but the council on american islamic relations made a statement saying they strong with them hostagetaking at the golf and call it say the latest anti-semitic attacks in a house of worship is unacceptable act of evil and they stand the jewish community and pray law enforcement authorities can swiftly and safely free the hostages. that's a statement on american islamic relations, the nation's largest muslim organization. israel prime minister, metallic bennet tweeting is closely monitoring the situation is taking place in the congregation but right now good news, a hostage was released on injured. we have no other reports or indications anybody inside the synagogue is injured. man says he's armed but we haven't seen anything that that really is the case. we will hope that more people are released. jon: the

this is rabbi charlie walker, one of the four people held hostage. three members of the conversation. —— congregation. he says, "overthe years, my congregation and i have participated in multiple security courses from the colleyville police department. he says we are alive today because of that education, and i encourage alljewish congregations, religious groups, schools and others to participate in active shooter security courses." he goes on," in the last hour, the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening. without the instruction we receive, we would not have been prepared to act and flee when the situation presented itself." i think that gives quite a graphic and site into what these people went through during what was an 11 hour siege. people went through during what was an 11 hoursiege. ithink people went through during what was an 11 hour siege. i think it also reflects whatjewish people around the united states and around the world have felt about this particular incident and why there was so much fear, while we saw alerts at

we've heard from the rabbi, rabbi charlie walker. he has been speaking to our partners here in the united states, cbs news, and he told them that when the hostage taker arrived here on saturday, he looked like a vulnerable person, perhaps someone who did not have a home. they welcomed into the synagogue, gave him a cup of tea, they talked to him as other parts of the story did not stand up and nothing particularly suspicious. it was only much later when their praying that they turned his back towards the hostage taker and he heard the click. he said it could've been anything, but it was the click of a gun and it was then that their ordeal began. we also learned a lot about what happened in the final minutes of this hostage situation on saturday night here, and he said, the rabbi said they saw an opportunity, they had training, him and his congregation had active shooter training that was invaluable and he said they owe their lives to that. he said that they saw an opportunity and he checked that the two men that were still with them

. >> that was rabbi charlie walker leading a service tonight for congregation beth israel. his synagogue in texas. that's in the suburbs between dallas and fort worth. those services that you saw tonight, that was the congregations first service since the rabbi and three of his congregants were held hostage at gunpoint for 11 hours over the weekend on saturday. the fbi has now identified the gunman who held them hostage. it's said he has mental health problems and political demands during the hostage crisis. the rabbi led him into the temple thinking he was a stranger in need of warmth and shelter. the rabbi even apparently made him some hot tea but once services started the man revealed he had a gun. luckily services were primarily virtual because of covid , in addition to the rabbi there were only three congregants attending in person but those are the people who got held hostage. the standoff lasted ultimately for 11 hours, the way it ended is that the fbi and the hostage rescue team entered the synagogue and shot and killed the gunman. shortly after the hostages had esc

, rabbi charlie cytron-walker, taken hostage throughout much of the day. he posted this morning saying he's thankful and filled with appreciation for the vigils and prayers from around the world, and he's thankful to the law enforcement and first responders who saved him. he says, quote, i am grateful that we made it out. i am grateful to be alive. and, remember, this was an incredibly harrowing moment, especially for the hundreds of people who belong to this synagogue who were watching on a livestream, and we can play a little bit of that for you now so you can get a sense of what the members of this synagogue were trying to process here just a little over 24 hours ago when this ordeal first started. >>> you might have heard a reference to his sister siddiqi, not his biological sister, and we want to be clear about that, but all of that is just a sample of what members of this synagogue were watching on the livestream for the better part of an house, so you can imagine how harrowing and terrifying it was for the members of this synagogue to watch all of t

i want you to listen to the rabbi charlie walker talking about what happened right before they were able to bolt. >> the last hour or so of the standoff he wasn't getting what he wanted. i made sure the gentlemen with me were ready to go and the exit wasn't too far away. i told them to go. i threw a chair at the gunman and headed for the door and all three of us were able to get out without even a shot being fired. >> shortly after they escaped, the fbi rushed in and came face-to-face with the suspect that died during that encounter. joining me is andrew mccabe and jonathan the ceo and anti defamation league. thank you both so much. jonathan, the suspect in this terror attack was welcomed in the congregation at beth israel. the rabbi thought he might be homeless so he brought him in from the cold and gave him tea. this could happen at any synagogue. remember mother emanuel? the guy game in wanting help. how are you processing this senseless attack? >> in many ways, don, it's a shocking attack but not all together surprising. as you eluded to into the lead into this piece, the level of an

. >> the rabbi charlie walker just put out a heart felt message on facebook saying he was grateful to be alive and thank youing everyone for love and support and he thanked police for their outstanding work, the fbi in putting out the name of akram, they say he was working alone. they have checked out leads both in england and in the u.s. but at this point they believe that he may have been working alone. mike: dan springer live in colleyville, texas, dan, thank you very much. for more on the suspect's potential motivations, mike tobin live from chicago, good afternoon, mike. mike: good afternoon, mike, aafia siddiqui was the woman whose release from prison for hostage taker demanded, she has been dubbed lady al-qaeda and, in fact, dubbed the most dangerous woman in the world and she's quite the aanythingma as far as someone who would be celebrated by islamic radicals. she's divorced, she's educated in the u.s., well educated at that and earned undergrad and after the attacks of 9/11 she took kids back to pakistan with the believe fa if she stayed her kids would have been forced to co

charlies ledger walker. she had 22 points. the stanford women had their game postponed. nba tonight. final seconds. bulls-pacers. demar derozan, one leg at the buzzer. that is the end of 2021. bulls win 108-106. great finish there. sports on abc7 sponsored by river rock casino. happy new year. bring on 2022. dan: happy new year to you, larry. awesome. ama: happy new year at home thank you for watching. dan: weale take you back now to new year's rocking eve with ryan seacrest. ama: 2022 already. crazy! say hello to 2022 with xfinity and you'll get fast and reliable internet for only nineteen ninety-nine a month for twelve months. plus, you can get twelve times the speed for the same price when you add xfinity mobile. that's more speed and more value. say hello to kicking off the year with this amazing offer. and with xfinity mobile, you can get a 5g phone on us and three hundred dollars back during our xfinity hello twenty twenty-two sales event! click, call or visit a store today! >>> welcome to "new year's rockin' eve." this >>> welcome to "new year's rockin' eve." this

first of all, rabbi charlie cytron-walker is a hero on multiple levels. yesterday was the torah portion that we read about the exodus out of egypt into freedom. the israelites did not just depart alone but departed with others who sought liberation. it is really a day of mutual liberation. and the rabbi embodies that at its finest. he believes not only in the liberation of the jewish community but its liberation in collaboration with the muslim community, the christian community, and so many others. and i think we should heed his example and recognize that this moment of fear, this terrible reality for jews, this terrible reality for many others can be overcome when we stand together, we work together, and we cross into freedom together. >> and, rabbi, are you hopeful that in our lifetime the need for security measures like the ones you're talking about in houses of worship will no longer be necessary? and what is it going to take to bring that day about? >> i am very hopeful that it will be the case in our lifetime. in the meantime, i do think it is incr

charlie walker one of the four people held hostage for those 11 hours released a statement today saying that what was really crucial was the congregation's active shooter training, security training they had done, very unfortunate that's needed but he encouraged other organizations and congregations to do the same type of training. here is what he said. in the last hour of our hostage crisis, the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening without the instruction we received, we wouldn't have been prepared to act and flee when the situation presented itself. no question this was a traumatic experience. to give you a glimpse into the type of chaos happening inside, here is a clip from the live stream of those services saturday. keep in mind, this is audio only, no video. what we're hearing is the suspect, unclear whom he's talking to but the key thing to listen for here is that the suspect seemed to not want to leave the building alive. >> reporter: such a tense situation and we're learning from law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation that told our colleague jo

rabbi charlie cytron-walker spoke about how he met the gunman and took him into the synagogue before the ordeal happened. >> i took him in, stayed with him. making tea was an opportunity for me to talk with him. i heard a click. and it could have been anything. it turned out that it was his gun. >> reporter: one hostage was released during the day and an hours-long standoff finally ended after the remaining hostages were able to escape. >> when i saw an opportunity, where he wasn't in a good position, i asked -- made sure that the two gentlemen who were still with me, that they were -- that i were ready to go. the exit wasn't too far away. 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 without even a shot being fired. >> reporter: an fbi rescue team then rushed the building. the suspect killed in the encounter. nearly 11 hours after he first entered the synagogue. the rabbi detailing how members of his synagogue have undergone courses from the fbi and other organizations to prepare for scenarios like this. trainin

that rabbi, charlie citron walker, he is a husband, has two children. this is a synagogue that's been in the community since 1999, fairly new, but it has been there for the last two decades. and from what we are trying to gather now as we're trying to see where these negotiations now stand. but at this hour, from what we understand from reports, this is an ongoing hostage situation with as many as four people inside including a rabbi, and we are monitoring for any updates from the colleyville police. we know the fbi is on scene as well as the texas department of public safety. jackie? >> bryan, obviously, the situation's very fluid. my understanding is that the residents in the immediate area are also being advantage -- evacuatedded, and the conversations with the hostage negotiators are ongoing. obviously, want to try to keep everybody safe, you know, if you can evacuate people from the building that aren't in the immediate vicinity of where this gentleman is, you know, how are people on the ground trying to defuse it? >> reporter: that's a great quest

thank god. >> reporter: in front of his congregation where hundreds turned out, rabbi charlie cytron-walker thanked the outpouring of support he's received from around the world. >> it could have been so much worse and i am overflowing. truly overflowing with gra gratitude. and i am so grateful. i'm so grateful for your presence here tonight. >> reporter: jake, this afternoon we've also learned that the hostage taker about ten days ago showed up at the islamic center of irving, which is just several miles away from the synagogue here in colleyville. we are told by a spokesperson for the islamic center that the suspect was asking for a place to stay. he was turned away and then became hostile. told the people at the islamic center they were going to hell. he showed up the next day acting very nice. that led people there to believe he was just not a stable person. jake? >> ed lavandera, thanks. >>> let's discuss this with cnn legal analyst and former justice department counterterrorism attorney carrie cordero. this investigation has gone international. cnn has learned the suspect was known to

rabbi charlie cytron-walker said he didn't notice anything suspicion until he heard a click during one of the prayers and turned to see a gun. he spoke to cbs. >> it was terrifying it was overwhelming. >> reporter: stacy silverman was watching the live stream on her computer. >> we heard this man ranting for three hours. >> reporter: a tense 11-hour standoff followed fbi negotiators establishing contact early. akram's only request, the release of a federal prisoner once known as lady al-qaeda who in 2010 was convicted of attempted murder of u.s. military about seven hours into the standoff, akram released one hostage but as time went by, the rabbi said he only became more agitated, leaving the temple leader to rely on prior training for an active shooter. >> i threw a chair at the gunman, and i headed for the door and all three of us were able to get out. without even a shot being fired. >> reporter: the suspect died after the fbi moved in his family says he suffered from mental illness. jeffrey cohen was one of the hostages. >> at one point the -- the terrorist let us call our familie

nearly 11 hours earlier, cohen and rabbi charlie walker had welcomed the stranger who held them hostage to the service. >> right before the service began and i got in, the rabbi pointed this guy out to me and i went over to say hello and welcome him in. >> the hostage ordeal started shortly aft religious service started and was being live streamed to congregants. >> it was during prayer, um, while we were praying and my back was turned, we faced toward jerusalem when we pray. uh, it -- right -- right before -- right before he revealed himself, but this was, you know, plenty of time in. i heard a click and it could have been anything. um, it turned out it was his gun. >> after the suspect pulled out a gun, cohen says he was allowed to call his family. >> at one point, the -- the terrorist let us call our families. calls to my wife and my son and basically told them he claims he has a bomb. things don't look good right now. i love you. and um, remember me. >> reporter: cohen says that after the first hour, the suspect -- 44-year-old malik faisal akram became much more calm and that's when

the rabbi charlie citroen walker posting a message to facebook thanking law enforcement and first responders saying, quote, i am grateful for my family. i am grateful for the cbi community, the jewish community and the human community. the nearly 12 hour standoff coming to an end after hours of negotiation with a krom who was killed by the swat team. >> we obviously are investigating will continue to investigate. the hostage taker. we'll continue investigate his contacts. our investigation will have global reach. we have bsen in contact are ready with multiple fbi lee gets to include tel aviv and chrome's brother releasing a statement saying the family is devastated, adding krom suffered from mental health issues and the family does not condone his actions. the israeli prime minister with a message after the safe rescue of the hostages. this event is a stark reminder that the dark forces of anti semitism >> still exist. >> we must and we will fight it. to the jewish community in the u.s. and they asked for jury around the world. they say. you are not alone. we're one family and we stand stro

rabbi charlie cytron-walker describing the moment he and two congregants escaped. >> the exit wasn't too far away. i told them to go, i threw a chair at the gunman and i headed for the door. >> reporter: in this video from our affiliate wfaa, two hostages and the rabbi are seen leaving from a side door, followed by a man holding a gun. less than a minute after the man moved back inside the building, gunfire erupts. and the fbi hostage rescue team quickly rushes in. tonight, investigators say that akram, who was not on any u.s. government watch list, arrived in new york from london more than two weeks ago before traveling to texas. the incident in colleyville unfolding saturday morning when the rabbi says he answered a knock on a synagogue window. the rabbi saying he and akram spoke over tea. >> at 10:45 a.m., akram interrupting th iing shabbat se. >> he said he had a gun. it's a nightmare. >> reporter: for hours, fbi crisis negotiators speaking to the suspect, who allegedly threatened to kill the four hostages if aafia to released from prison. just after 9:00 p.m., the other three ho

. >> reporter: appearing on "cbs mornings," the rabbi charlie cytron-walker describes the tense eleven hour standoff at congregation beth israel and the moment he realized the man who claimed to be homeless was taking them hostage. >> i heard a click, and it could have been anything, and it turned out that it was his gun. >> reporter: sources tell cbs news 44-year-old malik faisal akram was a british citizen who arrived at new york's j.f.k. airport about two weeks ago. making his way to texas, he stayed in a homeless shelter and somehow, obtained a gun. today, one of the hostages claimed he targeted the synagogue because of its proximity to aafia siddiqi a convicted terrorist with suspected ties to al quaida. he demanded her release from a texas prison as the f.b.i. rescue team flew in from quantico, virginia. hostage jeffrey cohen told cbs station, ktvt, after ten hours of negotiations... >> he started spouting for a good few minutes that he was going to put a bullet in each of us, whereas earlier in the day he was going to let us all go and he was the only one who was going to die. a

rabbi charlie walker sharing that it was active shooter training that let him know what to do and when to do it. and this morning we're hearing from him publicly, sharing how he convinced those other hostages to run when he says that gunman started to meltdown. >>> overnight, the congregation beth israel coming together and their hero rabbi speaking out. >> i love you all. while very few of us are doing okay right now, we'll get through this. >> reporter: earlier, rabbi charlie citron walker describing the terrifying moments during an 11-hour standoff at a texas synagogue last weekend. >> when your life is threatened the, you need to do whatever you can to get to safety. you need to do whatever you can to get out. >> reporter: after a gunman identified by authorities as 44-year-old british citizen malak faisal akram, taking walker and three others hostage at beth israel. >> right before he revealed himself, i heard a click. and it could have been anything, and it turned out that it was his gun. >> reporter: citron walker said after hours of negotiation seemed to be failing, he took an

cytron-walker and three others at gunpoint, demanding the release of convicted terrorist aafia siddiqui. the 11-hour standoff ending with the hostages escaping and akram shot dead as fbi agents converged. the fbi and department of homeland security now warning law enforcement nationwide that communities of faith will "likely continue to be targets of violence" and extremist actions. ♪ >> reporter: the former captives now finding strength through the community's support. >> while very few of us are doing okay right now, we'll get through this. >> reporter: david, uk officials are not commenting, because this is an ongoing investigation. but the white house says that they're going to take a hard look at what happened here, to see what lessons can be learned and prevented from happening again. david? >> mireya villarreal, thank you. >>> when we come back here, the horrific murder of a ucla grad student working in a furniture store. the suspect now seen on surveillance. there's a major reward tonight. t has your moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis under control? hide our skin?

. >> john: before we go here, point out the rabbi of the synagogue, charlie walker, credited recent active shooter training at that synagogue with saving lives. just the fact that the congregation went through active shooter training really is a sad statement on where we are, but let me run on the screen here some recent attacks against houses of worship. tree of life synagogue outside of pittsburgh, 11 dead in 2018, solon springs first baptist church, 25 dead, and oak creek, wisconsin, arvada, colorado, brookville, wisconsin -- sad for the nation. >> and what else can you say other than the catalogue you just gave us. but the training that the people at the synagogue got was from the fbi, and even if the brass says dumb things when they are doing their messaging, you can bet the guys from the h.r.t. team that brought this to a successful close, you know, they knew what they were dealing with when they came in. >> john: and they knew what they were doing as well. andy mccarthy, great to see you. >> john: we'll talk more about this in the next hour. >> sandra: and we'll be joined by a forme

rabbi charlie cytron walker has been at congregation beth israel in colleyville since 2006. he's been speaking about what happened. itook i took him in. i stayed with him. making — i took him in. i stayed with him. making tea _ i took him in. i stayed with him. making tea was an opportunity for me to talk_ making tea was an opportunity for me to talk with _ making tea was an opportunity for me to talk with him. in that moment, i did“— to talk with him. in that moment, i didn't hear— to talk with him. in that moment, i didn't hear anything suspicious. some _ didn't hear anything suspicious. some of— didn't hear anything suspicious. some of his story didn't quite add up, so — some of his story didn't quite add up. so i _ some of his story didn't quite add up. so i was — some of his story didn't quite add up, so i was a little bit curious, but that— up, so i was a little bit curious, but that is— up, so i was a little bit curious, but that is not necessarily an uncommon thing. it was during prayer. — uncommon thing. it was during prayer, while we were prayin

. >> reporter: appearing on cbs mornings, rabbi charlie cytron-walker described the tense 11-hour standoff at congregation beth israel and the moment he realized the man who claimed to be homeless was taking them hostage. >> i heard a click, and it could have been anything, and it turned out that it was his gun. >> reporter: sources tell cbs news 44-year-old malik faisal akram was a british citizen who arrived at new york's jfk airport about two weeks ago. making his way to texas, he stayed in a homeless shelter and somehow obtained a gun. today one of the hostages says akram claimed he targeted the synagogue because of its proximity to aafia siddiqui, a convicted terrorist with suspected ties to al qaeda. he demanded her release from a texas prison as the fbi rescue team flew in from quantico, virginia. hostage jeffrey cohen told cbs station kvtv that after ten hours of negotiations -- >> he started spouting for a good few minutes that he was going put a bullet ineach of us, whereas earlier in the day he was going to let us all go, and he was the only one that was going to die. but at tha

they believe that rabbi to be charlie cintron walker. we have no idea what's happening inside. we don't know if he's armed. the s.w.a.t. team and men and women who are heavily armed outside, members of the police waiting to see what's going to happen next. but now we are going into hour 8 of this. so we'll see. jon: bryan llenas reporting. we believe local authorities are in contact with the hostage taker who is armed. he also says he expects to die. joining us is walid phares. there was word in the beginning that this hostage taker is the blood brother of dr. aafia siddiqui known as lady al qaeda. when he referred to her as his sister, he's referring to global idea of brother and sister in islam. but it goes to show the my onous ideology, i guess, of al qaeda and how it has taken root among so many people. >> actually, the term sister could apply to something close to comrade in the struggle. so that is probably the origin of the confusion about being or not being her actual brother. but beyond that, there are so many questions. question number one and the most important are t

rabbi charlie cytron-walker was also the hostages he posted on social made his appreciation for the police and all those who helped. he also said he was grateful to be alive. rabbi walker also got a call from israel prime minister that said all of israel is standing with him and the jewish community here in colleyville. back to you bro. >> absolutely. dan springer reporting live from colleyville, texas thank you dan, erica. eric: the hostage change or demand the release of dr. aafia siddiqui her she was convicted trying to kill american soldiers and fbi agents when she was arrested. authorities say she had 2 pounds of materials to make bombs on when she was caught she is called america the enemy according to court papers in her sentencing member said she called for death to the infidels. despite her being innocent islamic convicted terrorist of some groups like cair and the council on american islamic relations and others have long supported the efforts to try and free her from her 86 year long sentence in federal prison. senior correspondent mike tobin has more on the lady being called la

the rabbi charlie citroen walker posting a message to facebook today thanking law enforcement and first responders saying, quote, i am grateful for my family. i am grateful for the cbi community, the jewish community and the human community. the nearly 12 hour standoff coming to an end after hours of negotiation with a krom who was killed by the swat team. >> we obviously are investigating will continue to investigate. the hostage taker. we'll continue investigate his contacts. our investigation will have global reach. we have been in contact are ready with multiple fbi lee gets to include tel aviv and chrome's brother releasing a statement saying the family is devastated, adding krom suffered from mental health issues and the family does not condone his actions. the israeli prime minister with a message after the safe rescue of the hostages. this event is a stark reminder that the dark forces of anti semitism >> still exist. >> we must and we will fight it. to the jewish community in the u.s. and they asked for jury around the world. they say. you are not alone. we're one family and we

service began, and i got in, rabbi charlie pointed this guy out to me and i went over to say hello, to welcome him. >> reporter: rabbi cytron-walker said the hostage ordeal started shortly after the service started and was being live streamed to congregants. >> it was during prayer, while we were praying, and my back was turned. we faced towards jerusalem when we pray. right before he revealed himself. but this was plenty of time in. i heard a click. and it could have been anything. it turned out that it was his gun. >> reporter: after the suspect pulled out a gun, cohen says he was allowed to call his family. >> at one point the terrorist let us call our families. so i remember making calls to my wife and my son. and basically told them, there's a gunman here. he claims he has a bomb. things don't look good right now. i love you. and remember me. >> reporter: cohen says that after the first hour the suspect, 44-year-old malik faisal akram became much more calm. and that's when the hostages started thinking strategically about where they should sit and to keep their eyes open for an

the rabbi charlie citroen walker posting a message to facebook today thanking law enforcement and first responders saying, quote, i am grateful for my family. i am grateful for the cbi community, the jewish community and the human community. the nearly 12 hour standoff coming to an end after hours of negotiation with a krom who was killed by the swat team. >> we obviously are investigating will continue to investigate. the hostage taker. we'll continue investigate his contacts. our investigation will have global reach. we have been in contact are ready with multiple fbi lee gets to include tel aviv and crumbs brother releasing a statement saying the family is devastated. adding krom suffered from mental health issues and the family does not condone his actions. the israeli prime minister with a message after the safe rescue of the hostages. this event is a stark reminder that the dark forces of anti semitism >> still exist. >> we must and we will fight it. to the jewish community in the u.s. and they asked for jury around the world. they say. you are not alone. we're one family and we s

sit ron walker still trapped inside said the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening as time went by. within an hour this pivotal moment akram's brother alleging the remaining hostages were released by fire door not rescued. police haven't verified the details but this video shows three people leaving what appears to be a side door as teams move in, confirming akram's death minutes later. in a statement he added, we as a family do not condone any of akram's actions and would like to sincerely apologize whole heartedly to all the victims adding his brother suffered mental health issues and there was nothing we could have said to him or done that would have convinced him to surrender. authorities credit cytron-walker for keeping the situation calm when you got the word that everyone made it out okay -- >> yeah. it's, like, a release of tears and anxiety and stress and thankfulness and praise and worry and all of those all at once >> reporter: tonight the rabbi now back with his family posting in part, i am grateful that we made it out i am grateful to be alive. >> just

. >> that's rabbi charlie cytron-walker, leading a service tonight his congregation between dallas and fort worth. those services you saw that clip from tonight, this is the congregation's first service since the rabbi and three of his congregants were held hostage at gunpoint for 11 hour this weekend on saturday. the fbi has now identified the gunman who held them hostage, a 44-year-old british national. his family said he had mental health problems and political demands during the hostage crisis. the rabbi let him in thinking he was a stranger who needed warmth and shelter. the rabbi even made him some hot tea. once the services started, the man related he had a gun. luckily pry prayerly the service was virtual. because of covid, there were only three congregants who attended in person, but they were the people who got held hostage. the standoff as i said, ultimately 11 hours. ultimately the way it ended is the fbi's hostage rescue team entered the synagogue and shot and killed the gunman shortly after the hostages escaped. that was around 9:00 p.m. saturday night. it's incredible th

the rabbi charlie citroen walker posting a message to facebook today thanking law enforcement and first responders saying, quote, i am grateful for my family. i am grateful for the cbi community, the jewish community and the human community. the nearly 12 hour standoff coming to an end after hours of negotiation with a krom who was killed by the swat team. >> we obviously are investigating will continue to investigate. the hostage taker. we'll continue investigate his contacts. our investigation will have global reach. we have been in contact are ready with multiple fbi lee gets to include tel aviv and chrome's brother releasing a statement saying the family is devastated, adding krom suffered from mental health issues and the family does not condone his actions. the israeli prime minister with a message after the safe rescue of the hostages. this event is a stark reminder that the dark forces of empty semitism. >> still exist. >> we must and we will fight it. to the jewish community in the u.s. and they asked for jury around the world. they say. you are not alone. we're one family and

. >> so, according to my colleagues, the rabbi, if indeed he is there, is charlie citron walker, and he is absolutely beloved. he's the first full-time rabbi to the synagogue. gives his heart and soul to that place and the community members. he is dedicated to justice and to social justice and i cannot even imagine the fear, the terror, the horror in his heart right now. not only for his safety, but the safety of those who are with him. and i would love to ask if i may for those who feel called to prayer in whatever language and tradition that they're from, to join in prayer for rabbi citron walker and also to consider an act of justice in his honor and as a form of action done as a sign of solidarity and caring. he is somebody who loves the stranger and cares deeply about the plight of those who have, who face hardship in our society. he's someone who cares about interfaith collaboration. he is someone who cares about righteousness in its many forms. so i invite people to engage in prayer if that is something they're comfortable with, and indeed, engage in acts of righteousness. may

about four hours later rabbi charlie cytron-walker says they planned their escape after seeing the gunman become more erratic, throwing a chair at the suspect and fleeing out the side door. >> everything was just total silence, total silence. you couldn't -- you could hear a pin drop. >> reporter: the suspect was killed when authorities entered the house of worship. multiple law enforcement sources tell abc news the handgun recovered at the scene had been bought by the suspect from someone he met while staying at a local homeless shelter. authorities say akram who was not featured on any watch lists entered the country more than two weeks before traveling to texas listing a new york address on the visa forms. both family and friends continue to bring up when they talk about the suspect that he had mental health issues. yesterday we mentioned two teenagers were brought in in connection with this investigation. we've been able to confirm those two teenagers are actually the children of the suspect. >> mireya, what more do we know about this threat to faith-based communities? >> reporter: it

arab rabbi charlie cytron-walker is joining us, one of the four hostages held in his congregation, beth israel synagogue. everyone calls you rabbi charlie. i'll call you rabbi charlie as well. thank you so much for joining us. first of all, how are you doing? how are you reflecting on this horrible ordeal that you and three other congregants had to go through for 11 hours? how are you processing all of this? >> the process is ongoing. the whole experience, the day o entirely overwhelming. and the message f my congregation and my community last night at our healing service, that was one of recognizing and understanding that each of us, every human life, is sacred, and we know this and we agree with it. and it's really about living that value. and we have a lot of work to do, all of us, from every background, from every religious or non-religious background. we all have a lot of work to do as far as living that value that we all hold dear. every life is sacred. >> well said indeed. what goes through your mind, rabbi, when you hear these new details emerging that the man who held you hosta

. >>> in a statement to cnn, one of the hostages, rabbi charlie cytron-walker said in the last hour the gunman became increasingly belligerent and threatening and he credited the security training his congregation had taken part in in getting them through the traumatic event. >> this is the first time that anyone at abl can recall a hostage-taking it at a synagogue, but, unfortunately, jewish sites have been targeted again and again and again by extremists over the years. >> according to officials akram entered the united states legally in december. he was vetted and cleared prior to his arrival at jfk airport in new york five weeks ago. federal authorities do not believe that this was part of a greater plot, but they are questioning how akram was able to travel to texas. according to law enforcement british intelligence officials tell their u.s. counterparts a preliminary search showed no derogatory information on akram. once he arrived in dallas he spent several nights at a homeless shelter. cnn was told in a phone call that we were a weigh station for hip. he had a plan. he was very

tomorrow at this time, i'll speak live with rabbi charlie sit walker, tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. eastern right here in "the situation room." >>> just ahead, confusing guidance coming in from the cdc regarding isolation and it's frustrating americans right now who are grappling with covid-19 as the omicron variant surges nationwide. this is "the situation room" special report. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ with chase security features, guidance and convenience, banking feels good. chase. make more of what's yours. some of my best memories growing up were cooking with mom. so when she moved in with us, a new kitchen became part of our financial plan. ♪ ♪ find a northwestern mutual advisor at nm.com ready to turn your dreams into plans and your actions into achievements? explore over 75 programs and four-week classes at national university. your future starts today at nu.edu. ♪ my name is austin james. as a musician living with diabetes, fingersticks can be a real challenge. that's why i use the freestyle libre 2 system. with a painless, one-second scan i know my glucose numbers wit