Suspect threw a flamethrower and yelled ‘Free Palestine' in Colorado attack, FBI says

CNN

2 days ago

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Title: "It looked like the skin had just melted off their bodies," witness says
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An eyewitness described the aftermath of the attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying some of the victims' pants were completely burned and singed off. It looked like their skin had just melted off their bodies.'
Brian H., who did not want to give his last name due to safety concerns, told CNN he and his family were dining outside when a woman ran from a courthouse, which was only about 100 yards away, to warn them a man was throwing fire at people.
Immediately, Brian got up and ran into the courtyard, where he said he saw the suspect carrying a tank on his back that resembled a gardening chemical sprayer.
'I saw fabric coming out of it, and I quickly realized that it was a Molotov cocktail. One had already exploded right in front of us,' Brian said.
He noted that another man was trying to talk the suspect down, but the suspect kept yelling, 'F**k you, Zionist,' 'You all deserve to die,' and 'You've killed these children.'
'He was very erratic, shouting and spewing terrible things at different people,' Brian recounted.
After calling 911, Brian approached to see if he could assist any victims. He described seeing an elderly woman lying on the ground, unresponsive.
'There were several people attending to her and wrapping her up, trying to ensure she was ok,' he said.
Brian added that people from a restaurant across the street were bringing large buckets of ice water to help extinguish the flames.
He said he then grabbed a bucket and filled it with water from a fountain in the middle of the courtyard.
'I just kept filling that up and pouring it on their legs, Brian explained.
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Title: Colorado governor pledges support for Jewish community
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Governor Jared Polis has condemned the attack in Boulder as a 'heinous act of terror' and vowed to protect all Coloradans, including the Jewish community, which he said feels 'especially threatened and targeted.'
'It's hard to get in the mind of an evildoer, of somebody who would commit such a heinous act of terror,' Polis told CNN's Brian Abel. 'But every indication is that this is entirely deliberate, and I'm sure we'll find out more in the days to come.'
Polis said that the 'likely perpetrator has been apprehended.'
'The immediate thing to find out is: Were there any others involved or who knew about the plot? And of course, how can we make sure people feel safe expressing their viewpoints, whatever they are, in our state and in our country?'
The governor outlined measures Colorado has taken to protect communities, including installing video cameras and providing $1.5 million in grants to secure targeted sites such as synagogues, churches and mosques.
'There were not any threats that I was aware of particular to this event,' Polis said.
He pointed to Boulder's diversity and resilience, urging efforts to reassure the city's Jewish community.
'Boulder is no stranger to tragedy,' he said. 'I talked to the mayor earlier today. It's important that we can reassure and protect (the Jewish community).'
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Title: Anti-Defamation League leader calls on public to "stop excusing antisemitic rhetoric"
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Anti-Defamation League CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt called on the public to 'stop excusing antisemitic rhetoric' after Sunday's attack on a weekly gathering of Jewish community members in Colorado.
'This is the second violent attack on the U.S. Jewish community in two weeks. First, a young couple slaughtered in Washington, D.C. Now, a firebomb thrown at a group in Boulder, Colorado, as they gathered to express solidarity with the 58 hostages still being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists,' Greenblatt said. 'Two peaceful Jewish events that ended with rage-filled, violent attacks.'
Greenblatt noted the incidents aren't isolated to the United States, saying there's a 'global campaign of intimidation and terror deliberately directed against the Jewish people.'
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Title: Law enforcement working to assess mental health of suspected Boulder attacker, source says
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Law enforcement officials investigating Sunday's violent incident at a weekly gathering of the Jewish community in Boulder, Colorado, are working to assess any possible mental health issues of the suspected attacker, a source familiar tells CNN.
That assessment includes working to identify his online presence and interviewing individuals with whom he may have interacted, the source said.
While senior FBI officials have deemed the incident an act of terrorism, authorities are working to determine whether the suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, may have suffered mental health issues, the source said.
'He's shirtless, screaming, used rudimentary (explosive) devices, and stuck around to be arrested,' the source said.
The FBI has been focusing in recent months on foreign-inspired extremists who might use high-powered weapons, explosives, or vehicles to cause mass casualty incidents in the US, the source noted.
By comparison, Soliman's alleged use of Molotov cocktails, which can be constructed from material easily obtained, do not appear to fit the profile of a terrorist intent on causing large-scale causalities, the source said.
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Title: Woman badly burned in attack in Colorado, witness says
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One woman severely burned in the attack on an event in Boulder, Colorado had to roll on the ground to extinguish the flames, according to one of the event organizers.
The weekly walk to support Israeli hostages in Gaza turned violent on Sunday when a man attacked and wounded several people, event organizer Miri Kornfeld told CNN affiliate KUSA.
Kornfeld said her group was making its way along Pearl Street when they encountered a man waiting near the courthouse with bottles. The man, she said, threw the bottles, burning several people.
Law enforcement authorities said the man used a makeshift flamethrower and threw Molotov cocktails.
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Title: Suspect can be heard in video saying, "They are killers!"
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Video obtained by CNN from the Sunday attack in Boulder, Colorado, that wounded six shows a shirtless man that authorities later identified as the suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, age 45, yelling out 'End Zionists,' 'Palestine is Free!' and 'They are killers!' while carrying two bottles.
Witnesses in the video can be heard saying Soliman was 'spraying alcohol' and that 'he's making Molotov cocktails.'
Video credit: @BHFlyer5
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Title: Event organizers condemn "violent assault" on Boulder gathering supporting Israeli hostages in Gaza
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Run for Their Lives, organizers of the event that was attacked in Boulder, Colorado, condemned the incident as a 'violent assault,' on a peaceful gathering.
'Run for Their Lives is an apolitical global organization with the sole mission of walking peacefully to raise awareness for the 58 hostages still held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza,' the organization said in a statement.
'This global grass roots organization was founded on October 15, 2023, a week after the horrendous terrorist attack by Hamas … These walks have been held every week since then for all the hostages — without any violent incidents until today.'
The group expressed gratitude for the emergency responders and health care workers helping the victims.
'Run for Their Lives remains committed to our mission until ALL the HOSTAGES are returned back home!'
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Title: The Colorado attack happened as the Jewish community prepares to observe the holiday of Shavuot
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Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colorado happened as the Jewish community was preparing to celebrate Shavuot, a two-day holiday that begins this year at sunset on June 1 and lasts through nightfall on June 3.
Shavuot commemorates the date the Torah was given to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai more than 3,000 years ago, according to Chabad.org.
It is celebrated by staying up all night to learn the Torah and going to a synagogue to hear a reading of the Ten Commandments and special meals, among other traditions.
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Title: Colorado leaders condemn Boulder attack
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Colorado leaders are condemning the attack in Boulder, describing it as a disturbing example of the growing wave of hate-fueled violence against the Jewish community in the US.
'My thoughts are with those injured and impacted by today's attack against a group that meets weekly on Boulder's Pearl Street Mall to call for the release of the hostages in Gaza,' Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.
'People may have differing views about world events and the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but violence is never the answer to settling differences,' Weiser added.
'Hate has no place in Colorado. We all have the right to peaceably assemble and the freedom to speak our views. But these violent acts — which are becoming more frequent, brazen, and closer to home — must stop, and those who commit these horrific acts must be fully held to account.'
Boulder's congressional representative, Joe Neguse, echoed the condemnation, calling the incident a 'heinous act of terror' in a statement released Sunday.
'Tonight, as many prepare to mark the Shavuot holiday, our Jewish community has been subjected to yet another brutal and horrific act of antisemitism. The scourge of antisemitism has metastasized across our country, and we must do more — now — to stop this hatred and violence,' Neguse said.
'We stand with the Jewish community — today and always — and will be united in supporting the victims and their families in the weeks ahead, and to redoubling our efforts to stop antisemitism.'
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Title: Holocaust survivor among those wounded in antisemitic attack in Colorado, event participant tells CNN
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One of the victims of Sunday's attack on a group of Jewish community members in Colorado is a holocaust survivor, an individual who was at the march and knows the victim told CNN on Sunday.
Six people attending the event to support Israeli hostages in Gaza, ranging in age from 67 to 88, were injured when a suspect used a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to set them on fire, according to the FBI.
One victim was 'very seriously injured,' according to Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn. All six victims are still being treated.
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Title: FBI is conducting "court-authorized law enforcement activity" in El Paso County, Colorado
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The FBI's Denver branch is conducting 'court-authorized law enforcement activity' in El Paso County, Colorado, related to Sunday's attack.
The agency announced the activity on X.
'As this is an ongoing investigation, no additional information is available at this time,' reads the post.
El Paso County is a little over 100 miles from Boulder.
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Title: A suspect is in custody following an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado. Here's what we know
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The FBI is investigating what officials are calling an antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, during a weekly gathering of Jewish community members. Six people were injured, according to Boulder police.
The suspect, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd and also yelled 'Free Palestine,' FBI Denver Special Agent-in-Charge Mark Michalek said Sunday during a news conference.
Here's what we know:
The attack: The incident took place during a Boulder Run for Their Lives event – a weekly gathering of Jewish community members meant to support the hostages taken during the October 7 attacks in Israel in 2023, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
Victims: Six victims, ranging in age from 67 to 88, were injured in the Sunday attack, according to the FBI. One victim was 'very seriously injured,' according to Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn. Four victims were taken to Boulder Community Hospital. Two victims were airlifted to the Denver metro area, the chief said. All six victims are still being treated.
The suspect: Soliman, 45, acted alone and is not part of a larger group or network, Michalek said. In 2005, he was denied a visa to enter the United States, sources tell CNN. It's unclear when or how the suspect entered the US.
Potential charges: Soliman will be charged in the coming days, according to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty. Federal criminal charges are expected in the case, according to a CNN source familiar with the investigation. It is unclear if Soliman has an attorney at this time.
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Title: Stephen Miller says suspect had "illegally overstayed" tourist visa
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White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said the suspect in Sunday's attack had 'illegally overstayed' a tourist visa.
'He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa,' Miller wrote in a post on X. 'In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit.'
Miller characterized the suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, as an 'illegal alien.'
Law enforcement sources previously told CNN that the suspect had applied for asylum and been rejected for a visa in 2005. It's unclear how and when the suspect entered the US.
CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for information about the suspect's immigration status.
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Title: Gov. Polis condemns the "heinous" attack in Boulder that left six injured
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Colorado Gov. Jared Polis condemned the attack in Boulder that left at least six injured Sunday.
'Boulder is strong. We have overcome tragedies together and will get through this together as a community. I've spoken with Boulder Mayor Brockett, and my administration is working closely with local and federal law enforcement on this afternoon's attack,' Polis said Sunday.
'As the Jewish community reels from the recent antisemitic murders in Washington, DC, it is unfathomable that the community is facing another antisemitic attack here in Boulder, on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot,' he added.
Polis, who is Jewish, married his longtime partner in a traditional Jewish ceremony in 2021.
'Several individuals were brutally attacked while peacefully drawing attention to the plight of hostages who have been held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 604 days. Hate is unacceptable in our Colorado for all, and I condemn this act of terror. The suspect should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,' he said.
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Title: Suspect had applied for asylum in US and was denied a visa, law enforcement sources say
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The suspect, 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, in Sunday's attack had previously applied for asylum in the US, law enforcement sources told CNN.
Soliman was denied a visa to enter the country in 2005, the sources told CNN.
It's unclear when or how the suspect entered the US.
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Title: Witness describes seeing a "big fire go up' after attack
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A witness to Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colorado, described seeing a 'big fire go up' in an interview with CNN affiliate KUSA.
Brooke Coffman told KUSA she was on the phone with her mother during her lunch break, approximately 100 to 150 feet away from the courthouse, when she 'saw some flags moving around,' 'people wrestling,' and 'like someone was getting beat up or something.'
When she saw the flames, Coffman said she hung up on her mother, ran over to the area and called 911.
'There was a kid yelling, 'Call 911,'' she recalled. 'People on the street were just yelling, 'Call 911.' People were running.'
Coffman told KUSA she jumped over a small fence to get to two women who were 'rolling around a bit' on the grass and in their underwear from stripping their pants.
She asked how she could help and saw how extensive their burns were.
'They have really bad burns all up on their legs,' she said. One of the victims was screaming and 'was wrapped in a flag.'
'It just wasn't a good scene and she was, definitely needed help,' she said. 'It was just not obviously a good thing to see.'
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Title: Authorities in New York and Los Angeles increase security at religious sites for Shavuot
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Following Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colorado, authorities in major cities across the US have deployed extra security at Jewish sites and community centers.
On Sunday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced in a statement an emergency meeting will be held in City Hall to address heightened security ahead of the Jewish holiday Shavuot.
Mayor Bass also said the Los Angeles Police Department would be conducting 'extra patrols at houses of worship and community centers' throughout the city.
'Anti-semitism will not be tolerated,' Mayor Bass said.
On the East Coast, the New York Police Department said its presence has increased at synagogues and other religious sites across the city for Shavuot.
'The NYPD has already increased our presence at religious sites throughout NYC for Shavuot with high visibility patrols and heavy weapons terms,' the Department announced in a post on X. Shavuot began Sunday evening.
Increased NYPD patrols have been deployed to synagogues and mosques on multiple occasions since the start of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on October 7, 2023.
New York state is home to the largest population of Jews outside of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, while also boasting one of the country's largest populations of Arabs and Muslims. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security had previously reported increased reports of antisemitic, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab threats following the start of the war.
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Title: Attacker will be charged in the coming days, Boulder County DA says
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The suspect arrested today for allegedly setting several people on fire in Boulder, Colorado, will be charged soon, according to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, who did not specify whether the charges would be federal.
'In the coming days, decisions will be made about what charges to file and where,' Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty said in a press briefing. 'There's a couple different options, but what I would stress now, most importantly, is we are fully united 100% in making sure the charges we bring hold the attacker fully accountable.'
Federal criminal charges are expected in the case, according to a CNN source familiar with the investigation.
The source stressed potential mental health concerns have not yet been ruled out, which could factor into any charging decision.
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Title: FBI: Suspect yelled 'Free Palestine' during attack and used "makeshift flamethrower'
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Mohamed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in Sunday's attack in Boulder, Colorado, that left several injured, threw Molotov cocktails and used what authorities called 'a makeshift flamethrower.'
'This attack happened at a regularly scheduled, weekly peaceful event,' FBI Denver Special Agent-in-Charge Mark D. Michalek said Sunday during a news conference. 'Witnesses are reporting that the subject used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd.'
It is unclear if Soliman has an attorney at this time. Authorities said Soliman was injured during the attack and was taken to a hospital.
'The FBI shares in the sorrow of the Boulder community, especially to those who have family or friends injured in this tragedy,' Michalek said.
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Title: Attack follows killing of two Israeli embassy staffers
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Sunday's attack comes little over a week after the fatal shooting of two staffers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The accused gunman, Elias Rodriguez, faces several federal murder charges, after authorities say he shot Sarah Milgrim, 26, and Yaron Lischinsky, 30 as they left an event at the Jewish Museum.
Rodriguez reportedly shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was arrested. The Department of Justice is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. Both attacks come amid heightened tensions in the US during Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.
Speaking at a Sunday news conference, FBI Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek said, 'Sadly, attacks like this are becoming too common across the country.'
'This is an example of how perpetrators of violence continue to threaten communities across our nation.'