Texas synagogue gunman was known to British intelligence: Report

The suspected gunman who took four people hostage at a Dallas-area synagogue and was himself killed was known to British intelligence and assessed to no longer be a threat at the time he travelled to the United States, the BBC reported.

“Malik Faisal Akram, the Texas synagogue hostage-taker, was known to MI5 and was investigated in 2020. He was assessed to be no longer a risk at the time he flew to US at New Year,” Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent, said in a tweet.

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On Sunday, the gunman was identified as a British citizen, while police in England said they had detained two teenagers for questioning in the investigation.

The daylong siege at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, about 16 miles northeast of Fort Worth, Texas, ended in gunfire Saturday night with all four hostages released unharmed and with the suspect dead. It was not clear whether the gunman took his own life or was slain by members of the FBI hostage rescue team.

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