In the aftermath of the hostage standoff at a Colleyville, Texas synagogue on January 15, FBI officials have referred to the incident as both a "hate crime" and an "act of terrorism."
Matthew DeSarno, the Special Agent In Charge of the FBI's Dallas field office, stated during a press conference Friday that the department was still attempting to piece together the true motives of hostage-taker Malik Faisal Akram.
The FBI previously referred to the situation as "a terrorism-related matter" that targeted the Jewish community. However, DeSarno added that they were also treating Akram's actions as a hate crime.
Akram, 44, took four people hostage at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville while demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani associate of al-Qaeda serving an 86-year prison sentence in Texas for attempted murder. Akram, a British national, held at least three of the hostages within the synagogue for 11 hours before being killed by an FBI team that breached the building.
Officials confirmed Akram's cause of death Friday as multiple gunshot wounds.
Akram had entered the United States on a tourist visa approximately two weeks before the standoff. Investigators believe that he had chosen to attack this particular synagogue because it was closest to the prison where Siddiqui is held.
Akram was well known for his antisemitic views, leading to the FBI's categorization of the hostage crisis as both a hate crime and an act of terrorism. While these two crimes often fall under similar jurisprudence, they are not the same thing.
Domestic terrorism is defined by the FBI as "violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature."
Domestic terrorism charges are often brought in relation to so-called "lone wolf" terrorists. One notable example is Ted Kaczynski, better known as the Unabomber, who is currently serving a life sentence for using homemade bombs in relation to a series of murders.
The FBI defines a hate crime in a broader manner—a crime "motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity."
While hate itself is not a crime, the FBI is clear to note that any hate used in the perpetration of a crime is a violation of the law.
An FBI official speaking to Newsweek referenced U.S. criminal codes 18 U.S. 247 and 18 U.S. 2331 as being applicable to Akram's actions.
18 U.S. 247 is in relation to damaging religious property. It also codifies penalties for threatening a person's right to freedom of religion.
18 U.S. 2331 codifies international terrorism, outlining acts of terrorism that would be a crime if committed in any American jurisdiction. Given that Akram's crime was committed on U.S. soil, this code serves more to help define his hostage-taking as an act of terrorism.
Despite the perpetrator being deceased, the investigation into the attack remains ongoing. Much of the FBI's continuing work will be to help piece together how a dangerous person such as Akram could have slipped under the radar.
Multiple reports from British outlets, including The Guardian and the BBC, stated that the U.K. had considered Akram a "possible terrorist threat." However, the White House said that Akram had not raised any alarms when going through American customs, and as such was not viewed as a threat.
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