"'The Moment I Heard the Click, I Knew Something Was Wrong' - Rabbi Speaks Out After 11-Hour US Hostage Crisis"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] "When I heard the 'click' sound from a stranger who came to the synagogue, I first thought something was wrong."

A rabbi who was taken hostage by an armed man at a Jewish synagogue in Texas, USA, and escaped after a staggering 11 hours spoke about the hostage situation on the 17th (local time).

Charles Citrinwalker, a Jewish clergy rabbi, appeared on CBS Morning that day and revealed that on the 15th, just before the Sabbath service, a stranger named Malik Akram came to the shelter and entered the Collieville synagogue. Citrinwalker said he thought Akram came to the synagogue to warm himself on an unusually cold day and served him hot tea.

At that time, there were three congregants in the synagogue besides Citrinwalker. Most of the congregants attended the service offline, such as via Facebook live broadcast. When the prayer meeting began, Akram quietly sat in his seat. Then Citrinwalker led the service. He said, "When I turned my back to the congregants, I heard a clicking sound," and added, "The moment I heard the click, I first felt a sense of caution that something was wrong." He recalled, "It could have been anything, but it turned out to be a gun."

Afterward, Citrinwalker approached Akram and gently said that he could join the service but did not necessarily have to stay there. Then Akram pulled out a gun and pointed it at the rabbi. The situation was broadcast live online. Police responded around 10:40 a.m. after receiving a report that an armed assailant had entered the synagogue and was holding hostages.

In the interview that day, Citrinwalker did not specify what kind of firearm Akram had drawn, citing the ongoing investigation. He conveyed the atmosphere at the time, saying, "We had many conversations and tried to calm the situation." He also added that through dialogue with Akram, one hostage was released around 5 p.m.

While police negotiations and persuasion continued, Rabbi Citrinwalker said he was constantly looking for an opportunity to escape. He recalled that around 9 p.m., all three hostages were near the exit and said, "If there was a chance, I was ready to immediately make a move (to escape)." After a hostage situation lasting a full 11 hours, he and the other two hostages succeeded in escaping by throwing chairs at Akram.

Citrinwalker cited "security training" as the reason for the successful escape. He mentioned, "The fact that such education is necessary in our society today is itself a terrible thing."

According to the FBI, the hostage-taker was identified as 44-year-old British national Akram. He entered New York airport at the end of December last year and came to Texas. He was reportedly demanding the release of Pakistani-born female scientist Aafia Siddiqui, who is linked to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. In the interview that day, Citrinwalker also confirmed that Siddiqui's release was Akram's sole objective.

The FBI shot Akram dead after all hostages were released around 9 p.m. that day and recovered one firearm believed to belong to Akram nearby. The AP news agency reported, "Authorities stated that the investigation is still ongoing and refused to disclose who shot Akram at the time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.