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FBI Assisting With Hostage Situation At Congregation Beth Israel In Colleyville, Texas; White House Monitoring Texas Synagogue Hostage Situation. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired January 15, 2022 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:21]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. And we start with breaking news just coming in to CNN.

There is an active SWAT situation in Colleyville, Texas, outside of Dallas, near the DFW Airport there, at a local congregation of Beth Israel. The police department there saying that all residents in the immediate area have been evacuated. They're being evacuated right now. They're telling people to please avoid the area.

Let's bring in CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem.

Juliette, we don't know much about this active situation. The FBI is now assisting. It does appear at this point that this video that we're seeing right now coming into to CNN is outside of a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas.

What do you make of the situation just based on what little we know right now?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Right, so we're going to be super careful at this stage. It's obviously significant enough, both for us to go on air and then secondly for there to be significant SWAT teams there. So the most important thing right now is you de- escalate whatever shooting or hostage situation this is. We haven't heard which specifically it is, which is just the surging of massive amounts of resources.

And then the second is this some kind of a particular type of hostage situation, obviously, it's a synagogue. So we don't have to be, we can put two and two together at this stage.

ACOSTA: Right.

KAYYEM: And so you're going to be very cognizant of potential religious animus animating this and to protect the congregants. Now once again, in all of these situations, you don't know if it's -- if what we're hearing now is actually accurate, but let's just, the only thing we can do now is go by worst-case scenario, we can apologize later, and surge resources to a synagogue, especially given the incidents we've seen at synagogues most recently in Pennsylvania. ACOSTA: And Juliette, we are getting confirmation, at least early

confirmation at this point, that this is an ongoing hostage situation at a synagogue, the Congregation Beth Israel, and there's the Colleyville Police Department tweet that was alerted at 12:31 p.m., talking about the ongoing SWAT operations in this area, the 6100 block of Pleasant Run Road, telling people to avoid that area entirely, as people are being evacuated.

You just mentioned, you know, we don't want to jump to conclusions, obviously we don't want to do that, you never know, this could be a domestic situation. We're going to have to wait to see what the law enforcement officials tell us. But one thing we do know, Juliette, is that in recent months, in recent years, anti-Jewish bigotry crimes, fueled by anti-Jewish bigotry, have been on the rise. Anti-Semitic attacks have been on the rise.

KAYYEM: And look, if you're a police officer or a police department at this stage, there's nothing wrong with starting with that assumption, so I have no problems with the surging of resources in particular to a synagogue at this stage. We don't have to know exactly what the motivation is right now. All we know is that someone, there is a potential hostage situation in a synagogue.

Now the motivation of the hostage taker may be, as you said, a family issue, or whatever, but I'm perfectly comfortable assuming the worst at this stage, because you want to protect as many people as possible. I will say, we're not hearing anything about active shooter. The one interesting aspect to this, just based on my experience, so this once again is the evacuation and holding back of the perimeter suggests at this stage that they have some sense of what they're dealing with.

I mean in other words, that either the hostage has been contacted and that they're able, they just simply want to hold people back from coming at this stage. So this is not an issue where you're where we're hearing about active shooter and police running in at this stage. That may change in a moment's notice. So this is what we know at this stage, once again, there's the benefit of assuming the worst. It means that you will protect more lives at this stage. If it ends up being not that, then there's no harm, no foul.

ACOSTA: And just the latest to reiterate to our viewers, the FBI, Texas Department of Public Safety, are assisting a hostage situation, at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.

[15:05:05]

This is according to the Colleyville Police Department spokesperson there, talking to police, talking to reporters about the police situation there. At this point, we're told, Juliette, no injuries at this time.

KAYYEM: Yes.

ACOSTA: That is good news. Let's hope it stays that way. When you have a situation like this, and there aren't any injuries reported at this point, I suppose authorities there, the SWAT team there, has some hope that they can resolve this situation entirely without anybody being injured. It may just be somebody who has gone off.

KAYYEM: Right, that is exactly right. So this is why you're seeing multiple, a variety of responses. So the first is of course that you are seeing the perimeter held back. You're also seeing I think a de- escalation of the law enforcement going in, and the reason why you want to do that is it looks like that they can de-escalate the situation.

If that's true, they're either in contact with the hostage taker, or he's known, right, so there is only two option, someone who's come in who is a stranger, or known, and the police are at least at this stage not calling an active shooter.

Right now protocols for active shooter are you go in fast. This is the post-Columbine world, whether it's a religious facility or it's a school, you go in fast. You don't wait. There's no benefit to waiting anymore with active shooter cases. So the fact that they are specifically calling it a hostage situation is at least an inkling of good news right now, right? And none of this is good in the world you and I live in, but this is an inkling of good news, which is they might be in contact with the person or feel that they can de-escalate before there is any physical harm.

ACOSTA: Yes, let's hope that that is the case, Juliette, right you are.

Let's bring in CNN law enforcement correspondent analyst Josh Campbell.

Josh, you're a former FBI. You're a man of many hats. You wear the journalist hat here at CNN of course. What is your read on this situation right now? We're told by the police sergeant there in Colleyville, Texas, that the FBI negotiators are the ones who have contact with the person in the building. And that there is no threat to the general public at this time. That is according to the police sergeant. That's the latest information, obviously information can change.

But, Josh, what's your sense of that?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, as Juliette was just saying, we can tell a lot about what is happening by the posture of law enforcement. Obviously, there's a lot going on that we don't know but the fact that you don't see those officers rushing into the building, we've talked about in this era, post-Columbine, where if an officer hears a shot fired, they will go to the sound of the gunfire, but the protocol is if you're in a situation where there's a barricaded suspect, there's a hostage situation, obviously the goal of law enforcement is the preservation of life.

And so their first goal absent any type of indication that there is imminent violence is to set up that channel of communication, to make contact with the suspect, and to determine what is this person thinking, what are their demands, if any, and to establish that two- way stream of communication. These FBI hostage negotiators are very good at what they do. In each

FBI field office, you have people who do their collateral duty. They go through specialized training to become certified to be these negotiators because when there is a situation like what we're apparently seeing now, they are tapped to provide their expertise.

And this is a human business. Again, you are dealing with people in these situations. Sometimes they may not be stable, may have different views about how this situation might end, and you have a negotiator who will try to maybe convince them that it's in their best interest to maybe go a different way, that the first thing to do is set up that line of communication, what is important to understand, though, and as Juliette was just mentioning is that that can all change in an instant.

And that is why you have law enforcement resources that are brought in from local officials, from federal officials, all of the alphabet soup of agencies who are in that vicinity will be responding not necessarily to that building but setting up a perimeter and staging resources because, again, if there is an indication that this goes from a hostage situation, to possibly harm being done, you want to bring in those resources as much as you can.

But again, I would echo that sentiment that because it appears that there's communication, that is a good thing in a relatively, you know, bad situation, but that's what you want as a law enforcement official, to open that line of communication, to determine what that suspect wants, and to hope to try to persuade them to let any hostages go, and to provide some kind of peaceful resolution -- Jim.

ACOSTA: And Josh, we want to tell our viewers, you're looking at live pictures now from Colleyville, Texas, where police, FBI, are trying to work through a hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel there in Colleyville, Texas, synagogue there in Colleyville, Texas.

[15:10:10]

According to local police right now the FBI is in communication with the person who is believed to be holding folks hostage inside that synagogue.

And Josh Campbell, you were just saying a few moments ago that if you're looking for any good news, in any of this, it's the fact that they're in communication with this person right now. I guess the other obvious piece of good news here is that we're being told no injuries at this point, and so there is a glimmer of hope here that perhaps law enforcement can resolve this peacefully, what are some of the things that they might be saying right now? Might they be looking at already, looking at social media posts, if they know who this person is at this point and so on?

CAMPBELL: Yes, well, there are a number of different resources that they will bring to bear. Obviously that point-to-point communication between a hostage negotiator and a suspect. That is that direct line into what is happening, but as you mentioned, as they elicit information about possibly the person's identity, they're going to try to, with their intel teams, who are doing other kinds of collection, to determine who is this person. Again, trying to get to that motivation.

We've seen in different instances where sometimes negotiations require reaching out to someone who may know that suspect. A loved one. A friend. Which they gleaned that information by doing this, you know, what they call orbiting the target, determining who this person is, who is in this person's orbit. Sometimes those individuals can help resolve situations by putting a friendly voice on the other end of that line to try to talk this person down.

We don't know what is happening inside that building right now. But one thing is certain, and this is almost certainly what the negotiators are telling this person, that it can only get worse right now if this person refuses to let go whoever might, this person might be holding hostage. Again, there are many different options about how this is going to go. It is in the hands of that suspect, right now, to determine the least worst resolution here.

And that's what negotiators are trying to tell that person. They listened with empathy. They're nonjudgmental, again, if this person is making claims about potentially wanting to harm people, that negotiator will be telling that suspect, providing those reasons why that is not ideal, that there are other ways to resolve this. You know, that there is some type of grievance that this person has, violence is certainly not the answer.

And it's that communication that is going back and forth but also you will have, that's what's happening, that point-to-point communication. But all of these other assets, trying to gather as much as they can about where in the building this person is or trying to locate specifically where this person might be holding people because again if they then need to move to a tactical resolution, they want them to have as much information as they can about where this person is.

So this is obviously complex to put it mildly. A lot going on here, and of course, all of us watching, certainly anyone who may have loved ones that are there inside that building, and law enforcement as well are hoping and praying for a peaceful resolution. If this person is perhaps watching the media, I'm sure that this negotiator is telling them what we're saying right now. It can only get worse if violence is the next course, and of course, what these negotiators will be telling that person is they don't want to go down that route.

There is a way to resolve this. This person is already in some kind of trouble. This person would be in a lot of trouble if they start to harm people inside that building, which obviously no one wants -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And of course, you know, this is unfolding against the backdrop of what has been a growing number of anti-Semitic attacks in the United States in recent years. We're trying to get more information as to what might be motivating this situation, what is going on, in this hostage taker's head, and we're going to bring you the latest on all of this out of Colleyville, Texas.

The breaking news, the FBI assisting with the hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue there in Colleyville, right outside of Dallas. We're going to have the latest for you in just a few moments. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

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[15:18:25]

ACOSTA: All right, updating you on the breaking news right now, the FBI is assisting with a hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, outside of Dallas. At this time, we are not hearing about any injuries but we are staying on top of the story. And in just the last few moments, we found out the White House is monitoring this situation in Colleyville, Texas. That's according to a White House official of course. Any new information as it comes in, we're going to bring that to you.

Let's bring back Juliette Kayyem and Josh Campbell.

Juliette, what are your thoughts as you're watching this unfold. The longer that this goes on without any injuries I guess gives us some hope that we're going to get through this without any casualties, let's hope.

KAYYEM: Right. Yes. The hope for now in terms of what we're seeing, so we measure this by what's not happening, and that may be giving us some good news. You're not seeing a surge of ambulances. You're not seeing, there's no discussion of an active shooter case. And what we do know now in this post, in this world of active shooters, is the protocol would be you'd see a lot of police departments running in right now.

You're not going to wait, especially given the weaponry that's available in this country. You're not going to wait for a moment. So the waiting is good. However stressful it is. The second is of course it's a religious institution and it's a Jewish institution. A Jewish synagogue. And that matters. Just given in terms of the environment we live in, the rise of anti-Semitism in this country. But it also means, and this is, is that many, many synagogues, especially in urban areas, are more sophisticated with security.

[15:20:02]

They probably worked with local law enforcement. I know that was certainly, that has been the case in the past with local and state entities. The local and state entities likely have some sort of architectural design of how the synagogue is designed, where people may be. So it's not like they're standing on the outside of a building where they're not sure where people may be, or they don't have any transparency.

That's also one of the consequences of a post-9/11 world, but certainly after the attack of synagogues more recently, especially in Pennsylvania. So this is, you know, goods news, bad news, at this stage, but certainly hopeful that we are on a sort of stand back, and the police department wants to make it very clear that that's the situation we're in now. Hostage, not active shooter. ACOSTA: And Josh Campbell, I mean I guess there is no harm in just

waiting this out.

CAMPBELL: Right, and the law enforcement officers that are near that facility are engaged in this second-by-second calibration, recalibration. Their actions are going to be dictated by the actions of that suspect. And as long as there is a line of communication that's open where you have the suspect talking with a crisis negotiator, that is a good sign. And again, you know, the crisis negotiators are there to try to help determine what is motivating this person, to help that suspect understand that the best course of a resolution now is for this person to peacefully let people go.

We've seen people engage in these types of actions for a number of different reasons, ranging from, you know, ideology to their own grievances, to mental health issues. It's too soon to tell where on that spectrum that this stands but that is something that the crisis negotiator will be trying to elicit. What is motivating this person and helping them understand that letting those people go is the best course of action.

But as I mentioned, the recalibration, anything that that suspect does, if this moves to a situation where that crisis negotiator believes that violence is imminent, or there's some type of indication that this suspect is starting to harm those suspects, that on-scene commander will be making decisions very quickly about getting resources in there. This is obviously a situation no law enforcement officer ever wants to find themselves in. To potentially storming a building, trying to save hostages with other people in danger.

But they train for this all the time. And we know that especially as this goes along, they will be bringing in more and more resources to help backfill the stage around that building, to determine where in this facility the suspect and the hostages may be, and be ready to go, God forbid, in a moment's notice. This requires a tactical resolution, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, Josh Cambell, Juliette Kayyem, thanks again for those thoughts as we monitor this unfolding situation in Colleyville, Texas.

Police and the FBI, they've surrounded this synagogue in Colleyville right outside of Dallas and Ft. Worth, where a hostage taker is apparently in communication with the FBI, law enforcement officials who are on the scene there right now. We're going to bring you the latest information as it develops in just a few moments.

Of course, the White House is monitoring this situation, as they do in situations like this, and of course, we'll stay on top of that as well. Back in just a few moments with more information on all of this. Stay with us.

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[15:27:54] ACOSTA: OK, updating you on our breaking news. The White House is monitoring a situation at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, just outside of Dallas. At this time, we're in the hearing about any injuries but Juliette Kayyem and Josh Campbell are back with us.

Guys, let me -- Josh, let me go back to what we were just told by police in the last several minutes. FBI negotiators are the ones who have contact with the person in the building. There's no threat to the public, no injuries at this time. That's standard operating procedure in a situation like this. They're going to put the FBI on the phone with this person because they have the expertise.

And walk us through how they handle a situation like this. We're, you know, scrambling to get as much information as we can on this situation, but tell us what they might be doing right now to try to resolve this peacefully.

CAMPBELL: Well, you know, the situations like these, that really kind of fly in the face of the Hollywood mentality where you see, you know, the FBI showing up on the scene, there's friction with local law enforcement, all of that is fiction. When you have an incident where people's lives are at stake, potentially, and people are in danger, you have these law enforcement agencies that quickly fuse together.

Now in several major large American cities, police departments have their own full-time crisis negotiators, but the FBI is there to provide assistance across the country should there be some type of emergent situation in a local law enforcement agency needs their help. And that's what we're seeing right now, is that local law enforcement tapping into that FBI expertise.

These crisis negotiators, many of them are regular special agents and professional staff that have other jobs, but then go through collateral training, where they become experts on communicating with people, and helping to peacefully resolve situations like we're seeing unfold right now in Texas.

And so this is where all of that training comes to bear, to try to understand what is motivating this suspect. It is a good thing that we know that line of communication exists. That is not always the case.

[15:30:00]

We've seen in a number of situations, particularly with barricaded suspects, where they eschew any type of communication with law enforcement and these things drag on and on and on.

But the very notion that they're in real-time contact with the suspect is a good thing and the crisis negotiators can do what they do best.

And that is to understand what is motivating this person, to relay that the best resolution right now is for him to let the people go. And then they will have a conversation later on, with what is going to happen next.

But that suspect is in the driver's seat right now. That is what this crisis negotiator is almost certainly telling them.

That, look, you control your own destiny here, and for all of us, for the suspects, for law enforcement, for the suspect himself, and the hostages, rather, the best course is for that suspect to choose the course of action that is peaceful and that resolves this peacefully.

And that's the real-time communication that's almost certainly going back and forth right now.

And again, you know, we were talking a little bit earlier on, what is also happening behind the scenes is the law enforcement is trying to understand who this person is.

Because sometimes resolution requires putting someone in contact with the suspect that they know, a parent, a loved one, a child, a friend, to help make that case that, you know, it's not just me, the stranger on the phone from law enforcement, but here's someone who knows you well.

That can hopefully help persuade you that this needs to end peacefully.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: Right. Very delicate work.

And let me turn to Shimon Prokupecz, who is on the line with us, crime and justice correspondent.

Shimon, what can you tell us?

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME & JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I think what everyone has been kind of saying is sort of the situation here, that the FBI is still trying to work through and figure out exactly who this man is.

Obviously, this is escalated. Because you do have hostages, at least that's what the FBI believes, and authorities there believe, that there are hostages inside this synagogue.

So that complicates the situation greatly. Because you don't want to hurt any of the hostages.

We don't know what's going on between the man who is inside the synagogue, and authorities yet, what kind of communications they're in.

It seems that the authorities have a good idea, at least they haven't revealed on who this man is, and obviously motive, and all of that.

What is significant here is this happened during the sabbath service. It appears to have happened early during the sabbath service.

This person walked in -- some of this, the FBI and the authorities, they were able to look in on, because there was a live stream on the services, that's what authorities believe.

And so, as a result, they were able to see some of what has been going on inside the synagogue. And also, people inside the synagogue, who called police.

So the police have some window into what was going on there. Or information. So that is certainly helping them.

But at this point, the goal here is to try to end this peacefully.

But the key things about this individual, who this individual is, and what this is all about, obviously, we still don't know, and authorities have yet to reveal.

I don't think they have a good idea yet, of what they're dealing with.

But given where this is happening, on a Saturday, during the sabbath services, obviously, very significant.

And obviously very significant because this is a synagogue. So there's a lot here that the FBI would be looking into.

And certainly a lot for authorities there, the police, and for the FBI to be involved, so early, it tells you the significance of this -- Jim?

ACOSTA: Absolutely, Shimon.

And the longer that this drags out, I guess that's more of an indication that the hostage taker is not hearing what he wants to hear over the phone in order to resolve this peacefully, which, of course, just ratchets up the level of anxiety about all of this.

I want to bring in Rabbi Joshua Stanton, a senior fellow for the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, to give us an idea of what would be going on at a congregation at the sabbath services on a Saturday.

Rabbi, great to see you.

Of course, you know this is unfolding against a backdrop of a rise in anti-Semitic attacks over recent years.

You and I have talked about this in the past. Just the volatile, you know, discourse in this country, it has just ratcheted things up in that regard.

Rabbi, give us your perspective on what you're seeing right now, what is unfolding there in Texas.

RABBI JOSHUA STANTON, SENIOR FELLOW, NATIONAL JEWISH CENTER FOR LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP: My heart is breaking. The congregation describes itself as Hamisha. It's like a family.

And right now, there's someone in there threatening a family of people who are joining together on a sabbath, to unwind in a time of stress, and to be together, to connect, and to show love for one another.

You're absolutely right, hate has gone mainstream. And what we do not yet know the nature of this particular incident, I am filled with a trepidation and fear that this could be the worst sort of incident taking place against the Jewish community.

A moment of peace has turned in a moment of profound pain.

[15:34:59]

ACOSTA: And Rabbi, of course, we all remember what happened at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pennsylvania, a few years ago.

You know, when congregants go into a synagogue, these days, this -- these sorts of things, I suppose, do cross their mind from time to time.

STANTON: All of a sudden, we have to become experts in security. I did not become a rabbi to be an expert in security. I became a rabbi to teach, to support, to care, to be in the wider community, as a source of love for the world.

And now, all of a sudden, there's a great deal of fear. There's already so much fear in our world. There's already so much uncertainty.

And to have the Jewish community targeted like this casts a pale over all of us.

We're a community of faith. We're about peace. We're about fellowship. We're about connection.

And all of a sudden, we're being targeted by virtue of who we are, our very identities, and what we stand for.

I very much pray that this is not the case right now. But the community that is currently under threat was one filled with love and that lived out many of the best attributes of Jewish life.

As I understand it, they were a growing community. They had hired a beloved rabbi. They were joining together for worship.

But they were also a community that walked the walk of faith, and caring for neighbors, and doing justice, and doing what is righteous for the world.

And so when the best of our people is attacked in this way, all of us feel wounded right now. None of us feel safe right now. All of us hope that more can be done.

And I am optimistic that public leaders will rise to the occasion, and will stand against hate, if indeed this is an act of hate.

And certainly, we'll show solidarity and love for a Jewish community that is in tremendous pain and just needs a comforting hand right now.

We are a relatively small religious community. There are about six million of us across the country. So on a good day, we're maybe two percent of the American population.

And when any one of us is injured, any one of us is threatened, it's like your own family being hurt or threatened.

So we need that love. We need that support. We need that solidarity. And we need it right now.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. This is just so heart-breaking.

And, Rabbi, what would be going on at services like this right now? I do think it's interesting what Shimon was saying a few moments ago that there might have been -- there appears to have been a live stream of the services right now.

I suppose because we're in the middle of this pandemic, people are watching live streams of these kinds of services if they're not going in person.

STANTON: Absolutely. My greatest fear would be that it could be a bar or a bat mitzvah, that is a gathering of celebration for a family, gathering of celebration for a community, a coming-of-age ceremony.

Many congregations across the country do live streaming as a way of connecting with people from afar. And it really does bring a sense of warmth and community. It really does bring a sense of togetherness and unity.

And somehow, it seems like even something that was meant to connect people from afar has been interrupted in the most personal, in the most tangible, the most impersonal of ways.

ACOSTA: Absolutely.

Rabbi Joshua Stanton, thank you very much for weighing in during this unfolding situation in Texas.

We want you to stand by.

We're going to take a quick break as we try to get more information about what's happening in Colleyville, Texas.

Apparently, the FBI is in communication with the hostage taker who is holding people hostage inside the synagogue just outside of Dallas. We're going to have the latest on all of this with all of our correspondents and analysts, and Rabbi Stanton in a few moments.

[15:39:15]

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: All right, updating you on our breaking news. The White House is monitoring a situation, a hostage situation at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, outside of Dallas, right there in between Dallas and Fort Worth near the DFW Airport. Our CNN producer, Ashley Killough, is on the scene and joins us over

the phone.

And, Ashley, what you are learning right now?

ASHLEY KILLOUGH, CNN PRODUCER (via telephone): Hey, Jim. Right now, they are been having the media about a third of a mile from the actual synagogue so we can't see much more than the police vehicles that are blocking off the road.

But so far, what we know is that the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety are assisting with a hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel, which as we mentioned is a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, a suburb northeast of Fort Worth.

So far, what we have been told by the Colleyville Police Department, there are no injuries at this time. We are still trying to get more details, more information, on what exactly is happening inside, and how long it's been going on.

[15:44:59]

But we do know that FBI negotiators have been in contact with the suspect. But they have said that there's no threat to the general public at this time. And they are asking people to avoid the area in general.

Right now, we're about a third of a mile away, stationed at a Catholic church that's just down the road.

ACOSTA: And so, Ashley, you're seeing that, I guess police are turning around vehicles as they're trying to approach this area. They have cleared out that area.

KILLOUGH: Yes, they have cleared it out. We are hoping to get more information soon.

Yes, they started to do that and we can't even see the synagogue at this point. So we are hoping to get some more information in the coming hours.

ACOSTA: Any sign of a press conference? Is anybody setting up for that sort of thing just yet? Maybe it's too early.

KILLOUGH: No one is setting up for that yet. But we're hoping that that will be something that happens soon.

ACOSTA: All right, Ashley, our CNN producer on the scene there, in Colleyville, Texas, where police have cordoned off this area.

They've sort of established a perimeter, it sounds like, around this synagogue of where a hostage taker is inside holding members of this synagogue congregation hostage.

We're monitoring all of this, of course. Police right now say there are no injuries at this time. But the FBI is on the phone with this hostage taker.

We'll have the latest for you in a few moments. Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:02]

ACOSTA: And are a recap of the situation in Colleyville, Texas. The FBI assisting with a hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel just outside of Dallas/Fort Worth.

We understand from police that the FBI is on the phone or has been in communication with the hostage taker. No update on that.

Let me go to our crime and justice correspondent, Shimon Prokupecz.

Shimon, any new information as to what may be unfolding? You mentioned the FBI may be monitoring or watching a live stream of the sabbath services that were going on when this happened or perhaps it's still unfolding now on this live stream.

What can you tell us?

PROKUPECZ: Yes, there was a live stream of the services and so there were some information was gleaned from that.

Because the person was seen or heard on this live stream ranting and saying different things. It's not entirely clear what the person was saying.

The FBI obviously is now in control of this situation. They are on scene. Significant development, given where this is happening, at a synagogue.

They are working through identifying who this individual is, who the man is who is in this synagogue and took these hostages and the man who was ranting on the live stream.

They are working through. They have a name, obviously, they're working through that, and trying to confirm who this individual is. And that is what the FBI is doing.

The other thing we've learned is that the police there and FBI believe there are four people inside the synagogue, the rabbi and three other people. So that's what they believe at this point. And that's really all the information that we have.

But you're seeing a huge response here from the FBI. This is a very significant what's going on, given what they're trying to figure out, given where this has happened and some of the things they are working through.

So that is partially why you're seeing such a presence already from the FBI.

Obviously, they're negotiating with this individual. There's been some communication it appears.

People inside the synagogue did call 911. So there's some information from that.

We don't know what this person's demands are, what exactly he wants. Authorities have not revealed exactly what they're talking about with this individual, what this individual is doing.

But they certainly know some information, Jim, from that live stream you were talking about. So that has been helpful for them.

They have a lot of information. It's just a question of, when will they be ready to release it and what are the next steps?

Obviously, the goal here is to end this peacefully and make sure nobody is hurt -- Jim?

ACOSTA: And, Shimon, you mentioned that the FBI may have a name that they're looking at, at this point. Obviously, you know, things have to be confirmed and so on before you put that out there.

But that would indicate that they are moving towards identifying this person, perhaps publicly letting us know who this person is and what may be going on.

PROKUPECZ: Right. And perhaps that may happen once and hopefully this person is taken into custody peacefully.

And obviously, we're working with our sources to try and figure out exactly what's going on.

But I just got off the phone with someone and they're saying, just hold off a second. They're still trying to confirm certain pieces of this investigation and the information that they have before letting anything out publicly.

So there's obviously some concern. They want to make sure that the correct information is released.

So that is what we're waiting for from the authorities to make sure that this is, in fact, the person who they think they're dealing with.

But they have a lot of information at this point. And as you can see there on the video, the FBI is there. Large number of them, agents, SWAT team members.

So there's two parts going on here. You have the investigation, of who this individual is, and that's very significant. But then, obviously, getting these hostages released -- Jim?

[15:55:03]

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And that's the most important thing.

And you know this all too well having covered these types of cases for so many years. They are going to go by a playbook here that has one thing in mind, and one thing only, and that is the safe release of these hostages who are being held right now.

Shimon Prokupecz, thank you so much for that update.

And keep in mind, for the folks who are watching at home, this is changing moment by moment on the scene there in Colleyville, Texas. We are getting the latest information that we can confirm at this point.

Obviously, as things develop, we're going to bring you the latest on all of this.

But just to recap, the FBI assisting with a hostage situation at the Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.

Police are assuring the public that there's no threat to public safety at this point, that there haven't been any injuries at this point, and that the FBI is on the phone with this hostage taker.

We'll have the latest for you in just a moment. Be right back.

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