British media outlets reported Tuesday that the gunman who took four people hostage at a Texas synagogue that ended in his death was investigated by UK domestic intelligence service MI5 as a possible "terrorist threat" in 2020. Authorities, however, concluded he posed no danger, and the investigation was closed.
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Britain's Home Office did not immediately comment on the reports.
US authorities on Sunday named 44-year-old British citizen Malik Faisal Akram as the hostage-taker in Saturday's 11-hour standoff at a Texas synagogue.
Four people at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville were taken hostage after a gunman entered the building during Shabbat morning services that were being live-streamed. The live stream appeared to capture some of the incident before it was removed.
One of the hostages was released in the evening, according to police. Later in the night an elite FBI hostage rescue team breached the building and rescued the remaining captives, including the rabbi, according to local and federal officials.
Over the weekend, police in the UK announced two teenagers had been taken into custody in connection with the standoff. The teenagers are Akram's sons, two US law enforcement officials told AP. The officials were not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
On Tuesday, police in Britain said the teenagers had been released without charge.
In a video of the synagogue service that was streamed live on Facebook, Akram can be heard saying, "They let me in. I said 'Is this a night shelter?' and they let me in and they gave me a cup of tea so I do feel bad.
"I like the rabbi. He's a good guy. I bonded with him. I really like him… I've only been here for a couple hours, but I can see he's a good guy."
Federal investigators' involvement in the case appeared to point to Akram belonging to an Islamic terrorist group. Nevertheless, no terrorist organization has yet taken responsibility for the incident.
During the standoff, Akram could be heard on a Facebook livestream demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist who is suspected of having ties to al-Qaida and was convicted of trying to kill US troops in Afghanistan. The prison where Siddiqui is serving her sentence is in nearby Fort Worth.
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