Authorities credit cooperation following synagogue standoff

Law enforcement authorities credited a team effort between local, state and federal authorities after four people taken hostage in a Colleyville synagogue were rescued Saturday after an 11-hour standoff. “I’d like to think this is a success due to the partnerships that we have with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners. It’s been an incredible operation,” Colleyville Police Chief Michael Miller said. “We’ve had at least 200 law enforcement personnel here pretty much all day today. We couldn’t have done it without them. And we thank them. We thank the community as well.” Officials said at a press briefing said Saturday night that the rescued hostages are being interviewed by FBI and will be reunited with their families as soon as possible. Officials did not release the name of the hostage taker or the ages of the hostages, but did confirm everyone was an adult.

FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno from the Dallas field office said a federal investigation into the hostage taker will be conducted globally, with special focuses on Tel Aviv and London. The gunman, he said, was “singularly focused on one issue” not related to Jewish community. DeSearno said the rescue of the hostages and death of the hostage taker “was a result of a long, long day of hard work by nearly 200 law enforcement officers from across this region.” North Tarrant Regional SWAT team was the first to take control of the scene, handing it off to a FBI hostage rescue team of 60 to 70 people from Washington whose sole mission is to conduct hostage rescues. Communication between FBI negotiators and the hostage taker was nearly constant throughout the day, with some periods of silence. DeSarno said the hostages’ survival throughout the day was almost certainly due to that constant communication. “We do believe that, from engaging with the subject, he was singularly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community,” DeSarno said. “We will continue to work to find motives and we will continue on that path in terms of the resolution of the incident.”