US President Joe Biden has called the attack on a synagogue in the town of Colleyville, Texas an "act of terror" after discussing the incident with the attorney general.
Biden said there was not enough information to establish what the attacker's motives were, but added that he allegedly got his weapons from the street. POTUS lamented a lack of focus on strict control over gun purchases and sales, as well as the trafficking of ghost guns.
"The idea of background checks are critical, but you can't stop something like this if someone’s on the streets buying something from somebody else on the streets".
Vice-President Kamala Harris also spoke up about the hostage situation at the synagogue, thanking law enforcement for their help in resolving the situation and reaching out to the Jewish community.
"We stand in solidarity with the Congregation Beth Israel community and the entire Jewish community".
The FBI also released the information about the gunman, identifying him as 44-year-old British national Malik Faisal Akram.
What Happened in Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue?
Four people were taken hostage inside the Texas synagogue on 15 January as the rabbi led the morning Shabbat service. The livestream of the service suggested that the man, armed with an unidentified weapon, was apparently suffering emotional anguish, demanding that his sister be released and claiming he was "going to die doing this".
The attacker released one of the hostages at some point, but the rest were freed in the FBI raid. The gunman himself was killed in the process.
The motives for the attack remain unknown at the moment. Earlier media reports claimed that the attacker's brother was a convicted terrorist with links to al-Qaeda*. Several reports citing a statement made by the UK Foreign Office, claimed that the gunman was a British citizen.