'British man' shot dead after demanding killer's release to free hostages

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A hostage-taker who was shot dead after a stand-off at a synagogue in Texas was British. The as-yet-unnamed man was gunned down by police during a stand-off at a synagogue on Saturday.

The incident took place at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.The man could be heard ranting, in what appeared to be a British accent, on a livestream.He was heard to demand the release of a Pakistani neuroscientist Aafia Siddiqui.She is serving an 86-year prison sentence for terrorism offences after being convicted of trying to kill US army officers in Afghanistan.Police were first called to the synagogue at about 11am.One hostage who had been held was released during the lengthy stand-off.Authorities said three others were freed at about 9pm local time when an FBI Swat team entered the building.The hostage-taker was killed and the FBI said a team would investigate "the shooting incident".A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on Sunday: "We are aware of the death of a British man in Texas and are in contact with the local authorities."FBI special agent in charge Matt DeSarno said they have been in contact with their legal offices in London and Israel.He told reporters: "Our investigation will have global reach."We have been in contact already with multiple FBI legats to include Tel Aviv and London."Mr DeSarno said they believe the man was "singularly focused on one issue and it was not specifically related to the Jewish community".He added they will continue to "work to find motive".He said all four hostages were unharmed and were due to be reunited with their family after the incident.Earlier, law enforcement officials said the man had demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani