When the hostages were taken in a synagogue in the US state of Texas, those arrested said they were able to free themselves. One of the hostages, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, said in an interview with CBS today that when he saw an opportunity, he threw a chair at the perpetrator and fled with the other hostages. They might have freed themselves “without a single shot being fired”.
A man – according to police a 44-year-old Briton – had taken Cytron-Walker and three other people hostage on Saturday at the synagogue in Colleyville near Dallas. A hostage was released early Saturday night. The other detainees were only released a few hours later. All four were unharmed. The perpetrator died. Originally it was said that special forces had entered the church and freed the hostages.
The police have not yet commented in detail on the circumstances surrounding the end of the hostage-taking and have also left it open how exactly the perpetrator died. Cytron-Walker said the situation deteriorated in the final hour of the kidnapping. The perpetrator did not get what he wanted. “It didn’t look good,” the rabbi said. “We were very afraid.” When the opportunity presented itself, they fled.