UPDATE: 1/16 12:00 p.m.
The FBI Dallas Field Office confirmed the identity of the hostage-taker as 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, a British citizen according to reports.
Akram was shot and killed after the last of the hostages got out at around 9 p.m. Saturday at Congregation Beth Israel near Fort Worth. In a statement, the FBI said there was no indication that anyone else was involved, but it didn't provide a possible motive according to the Associated Press.
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All four hostages were rescued safely after an hours-long standoff at a Colleyville synagogue, police say.
The suspect in the incident is "deceased" after an FBI hostage rescue team breached the synagogue and rescued three hostages, Colleyville police Chief Michael Miller said.
The FBI rescue team traveled to North Texas from Virginia, Miller said.
Authorities responded to Congregation Beth Israel, a synagogue in Colleyville, at about 10:41 a.m. Saturday where an armed person took four people hostage, police said.
The surrounding area was evacuated and a perimeter was established, according to Colleyville police.
Shortly after 5 p.m., police said one man was released unharmed and was quickly reunited with his family.
According to multiple reports from reporters on the scene, there was a loud "bang" near the synagogue just before 9:15 p.m. Abbott tweeted the hostages were safe shortly thereafter.
According to CBS DFW, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker was believed to be among those in the building. He started at the synagogue in 2006 and is originally from Lansing, Mich. Cryton-Walker graduated from the University of Michigan.
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Screenshots obtained by KRLD indicate that the man mentioned his sister and death during a livestream of the synagogue's service on Facebook.
Several federal law enforcement officials tell KRLD's media partner NBC 5 that the man holding people hostage is claiming to be related to Aafia Siddiqui, however, a law enforcement official who spoke to NBC 5 said authorities are trying to determine if the man is in fact related to Siddiqui.
"The Texas Department of Public Safety is working closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville. The State of Texas is ready to provide additional assistance as requested and we will continue to monitor the situation. I ask Texans to join Cecilia and me as we pray for the safety of the congregants," Abbott said in an earlier statement.
As the situation continued, comments poured in on social media:
KRLD has reached out to law enforcement for more information.
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